Worth it
by divergentandproudofit
Summary: Tris has a crush on Four, but he's with Shauna and it seems hopeless. This is assuming the war never happened. PLEASE tell me what you think. Pairings are Four x Shauna, Fourtris, Christina x Will, OOC x OOC
1. Angst

Chapter 1- Tris

As I walk into the cafeteria for breakfast, laughing and talking with Christina and the rest of my friends, I see Four sitting with Shauna.

Again.

This should not bother me.

I do not even remotely like him, not a little bit, no.

Just because he saved me from Peter, Drew, and Al last week, just because he risked one of his worst fears to climb a Ferris wheel with me, does not mean anything changes.

He and Shauna are still together and I can't change that. So why is this driving me crazy?

Shauna and Four are my friends. I should not be jealous. But I am.

I think back to when I first found out they were together, on the roof right before ziplining.

"Of course I know Four," Shauna had said. "he's my boyfriend."

I mentally berate myself for letting him distract me and try to focus on Christina's story about how she punched Peter in the face yesterday, but my heart is racing.

I rest my head on the table, barely missing the untouched bowl of cereal.

"Tris, are you all right?" Christina asks me.

"Yeah," I say. "Just tired, I guess."

I can tell from the look she gives me that she does not believe me, but she doesn't ask further questions.

I clear my plate and leave the dining hall, too out of it to eat or talk to my friends. I go to the dorms and flop down on my bunk, than quickly spring up again when I realize that tomorrow is the day before initiation and training is in five minutes.

If I hurry I can make it. I sprint up the Pit pathway to the fear landscape room.

Today's fear better not be about Four- he is the one administering the simulation.

I get to the fear landscape room just before eight, nod hello to Christina, Will, and Uriah, and Wait.

Today I am the first to go. When I climb into the chair, depressed, Four looks at me oddly. It's as if he can tell exactly what my bad mood is about.

"You OK," he asks.

"Fine," I say, keeping my eyes on the floor. I can't tell him the truth. He will laugh at me and it would just be too awkward. He injects me with the serum and the simulation takes over my brain.

Four

Tris seems a little off today.

I saw her staring at me from across the cafeteria this morning, and when I noticed she blushed and turned away.

It's like she knows I'm losing touch with Shauna, that I kinda have a thing for her.

She seems so sad lately, though, that I am afraid she will pull an Al and jump into the chasm. Wish I knew what it's all about.

I administer the serum and attach the wires to my head, and wait. Today her fear is the crows again.

But instead of calming herself down, maybe a minute into it she just gives up and starts crying. Something is definitely wrong because the normal Tris is the strongest person I know. I pull us both out of the simulation.

"Look, Tris. Don't be like this. I'm taking you back to the dorm, okay?"

she nods. The first time this happened, it was the first day of simulations and I was sure that though she was scared she wouldn't break like the other initiates did.

I'm being proven wrong.

But I sense that it goes deeper than the fears. I take her hand and lead her out the back door to the hall.

We go find Eric on the way and I ask him to administer the rest of the simulations for me. He nods and goes to the simulation room. I need to have a talk with Tris so instead of the dorms, I take her to the train tracks.

"Where are we going?" she asks.

"You'll see," I say.


	2. The Train Incident

Tris

Today my fear was the crows again.

It is usually an easy fear to face but today I just broke down.

What is it about Four that can do this to me? I want to run away and scream or cry or stare at the wall feeling sorry for myself.

But that is not an option. Four looks at me, concerned.

"Tris, I'm taking you back to the dorms, okay?"

I am too numb inside to do anything but nod.

Why am I so hung up on him?

Why did I want to cry or punch Shauna when I saw Four kiss her last night?

Why do I feel so alone?

He takes my hand- in spite of myself I feel a warmth inside my chest when he touches me that banishes the cold inside momentarily- and pulls me out the back door.

When he releases my hand and the moment ends I have to remind myself that he is not mine and maybe never will be. He doesn't take me to the dorms though.

Instead we first go through a confusing maze of tunnels to the Pit to find Eric and tell him that he is doing the rest of the simulations.

Eric looks at us oddly but doesn't say a word. He thinks that there is something going on between us, and I wish it were then he takes me to the train tracks.

"Where are we going?" I ask him. "You'll see." The train comes, and we jump. He helps me inside and shuts the car door.

"So what do you want to talk to me about?" I say.

"I want you to tell me the reason you're depressed, and do not say it's the simulations because I won't believe you."

I don't know where to start. What should I say? "I...I..."

And then I burst into tears. He hesitates for a moment, and then steps forward and wraps me in his arms.

Am I imagining it? Or is he holding back tears too?

But no, I did not imagine it and now we are both crying, holding each other as the train slows down near the city's center. A part of me is wondering what is going on here, but the other half of me is happy to lose myself. And that half wins.

Four

Tris or Shauna? Shauna or Tris?

This is the question that consumes me for hours after what I have nicknamed The Train Incident.

I lie in bed staring at the wall for hours, unable to summon the willpower to move. Finally I can't stand it any more and I go to the Pit floor.

But there is someone else standing at the railing. It's Tris. I do not feel like talking so I skirt around the Pit and carefully climb down to a flat rock at the bottom.

I sit there for a while, thinking and feeling the water rain down droplets on my face. Shauna has been my girlfriend since initation, but Tris has captured my heart.

" It doesn't matter how long you've been with Shauna if you don't love her," I say to myself. Then I go back to bed.


	3. Missing Pieces

Tris

As I stand at the Pit , unable to sleep, I see a figure make its way down a path to the bottom that I have not noticed before.

It's Four.

I think about following him and then realize that he probably does not want to talk. We have both come to the Pit for the same reason: to think about what happened on the train.

I don't understand what passed between us.

Sometimes, like when he saved me from Peter and the others, I think I actually have a chance. But then he's with Shauna again and I realize that it isn't possible.

I sigh.

He makes everything disintegrate. I shouldn't let him distract me when initiation is over the day after tomorrow. But I can't help it. I sigh again and go back to bed. I need my sleep badly.

in the morning I see Shauna sitting with Zeke at her and Four's usual table.

Four is nowhere to be seen.

Zeke leans over and kisses Shauna on the head.

I can't help feeling glad that Shauna has left Four. Or did Four leave Shauna?

This thought is so confusing that after today's simulation I go take a walk by the train tracks. I need time to think. But I am not alone here either. I look up and see Four walking toward me.

"You know that you're not supposed to be up here alone, right?"

"Yes," I say.

I hear a train horn close by and look to see the train trundling slowly toward us. I make a snap decision.

"Well, come on, then," I say, grabbing Four's hand. we jump onto the train. He looks at me for a long moment.

"What is it?" I say.

"It's you," Four says.

"What about me?"

"Um, I..."his voice trails off, and then he runs and jumps off. I stare after him wondering if he hates me, or if there is something wrong with me. I may never know.

Four

How do I say this to her?

How do I tell her what she is to me?

I can't do it. I can't. At the first chance I get I leave the train and walk alone.

According to Lauren Zeke kissed Shauna this morning. I don't regret leaving her but sometimes I wonder if she really loved me.

Does Tris love me?

So many unasked questions.

So many missing pieces to the puzzle.

I have been weak before but this is an entirely new kind of weakness. This is a problem I don't know how to solve. She is the world to me, but am I to her? I just don't know.


	4. Initiation

**A/N- sorry about any typos that may come up, I am still getting used to my new kindle fire.**

Tris

Tonight instead of dreaming about crows and shooting my family, I dream of Four.

I am walking down a cracked and patchy sidewalk in the Abnegation sector of the city.

He walks toward me, his clothing gray, his hair cut Abnegation short. But he doesn't look strange, like I expected. Instead he looks... normal.

More normal than I have ever seen him.

He repeats his words from Al's funeral.

_Maybe there's more we all could have done. We just have to let the guilt remind us to do better next time._

And then I am absolutely sure I know which faction Four comes from.

I wake the next morning with a smile on my face.

Abnegation.

We are both Abnegation.

That is how he knows that our selflessness is the strongest armor we have. And then I remember. Today is initiation day. Oh, help.

The Dauntless compound is chaotic.

There are people everywhere, talking,laughing, shouting.

So when Christina drags me to the clothing place to get an initiation dress I don't object. A half hour later, as we walk out of the clothing place wearing our new dresses, I see Four walking towards us.

"Hey, Tris, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"

Christina gives me a knowing look. "Sure,"I say."See you later, Christina."

We go to an empty hallway. Four looks around to make sure that the coast is clear and then says softly, "I'm sorry, Tris."

Four

"I'm sorry, Tris." I tell her.

"For what?" she asks me.

"Yesterday. On the train. How I just left like that."

"You don't need to apologize,"she tells me.

Oh, Tris. How do I say this? I am spared the awkwardness by the sound of loud laughter and people's feet.

"It's starting. We'd better go." I take her up to the fear landscape room and watch the initiation test.

Tris goes last. Since only the leaders get to see the initiate's fear landscapes I can only watch her reactions to it.

About halfway through the leaders are laughing about something.

I wonder if it's the crows.

When initiation is over and the rankings are announced at the feast, Tris is first. I try to get her alone but she is surrounded by a crowd of Dauntless and I can't reach her. Oh, well. Maybe I will talk to her tomorrow.


	5. Confessions of a love suspect

**Gahhh! I am sooooooooooooo sorry, I forgot to save and had to restart the chapter. Here goes...**

Four

Today the new Dauntless members are choosing jobs.

Tris wants to train initiates with me, which makes me hope that I am not insane and that does love me.

For the rest of the year she wants to teach a knife throwing class for the Dauntless kids. I don't get the point of that, who wants to spend their day teaching a bunch of bratty twelve year olds how to throw knives?

But then I remember that during stage one of initiation Eric made me throw knives at her face, and electricity courses through me, as if I have been struck by lightning.

I have, in a way.

She looks at me for a long moment, and I feel like she is trying to tell me something that I can't understand or just can't hear.

I shake my head and look back at the other initiates.

Uriah wants to be a leader-in-training, which makes Peter scowl.

Marlene will be working as a nurse, Uriah is training Dauntless born initiates, and Christina is a makeup artist.

Peter gets stuck with guarding the fence.

Ha ha ha.

After choosing the jobs I again try to get Tris alone, but Christina and Will want to celebrate with new tattoos and plenty of Dauntless cake.

Tris invites me to join them, so we all go to the tattoo place. Christina and Will go in to get their new tattoos, and I see my chance. We go to an empty hallway and sit in silence for a while.

Then Tris says boldly,"Do you like me?"

Tris

I am Dauntless, but even here that is a bold thing to do. I just hope I won't regret it. Four considers my question for a moment and finally says,

"Yes, I like you. You're nice."

"That's not what I meant."

He hesitates. "Okay, fine. I like you."

He does. He does like me. Warmth courses through me. Then footsteps sound outside and we both look up to see Shauna burst in. Oh, CRAP.

**Oooh, cliffhanger. Please tell me what you think of this while I go take a Minecraft break (my social life SUCKS. Oh, wait. What social life?) Hope you liked this.**


	6. Goodbye Shauna

Tris

I want to kill Shauna for ruining the moment. Not to mention she just burst into our little room without knocking.

"Oh, sorry, was I interrupting something?"Shauna says sarcastically. "Four, I was wondering if you want to get back together."

Wait. What did she just say? Oh, CRAP. Here it comes. Four wants her instead of me. Right? But the words coming out of his mouth say something different.

" No, thanks."

"WHAT did you say?" says Shauna.

"I said no. I don't want to get back together."

Shauna looks furious."All right, then. Have it your way."

She storms out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

" Now where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"He asks.

"I don't know," I admit shyly. And then Four does something I don't expect. He leans in towards me... and kisses me.

Four

Shauna wanted me back.

SHAUNA.

Why would I go back?

I have Tris now. And I love her more than anything.

These are the thoughts that run through my head as we walk back to the tattoo parlor.

I knew she was special as soon as she jumped off the building after the Choosing. I knew, and I was right.

She and I were meant for each other in heaven.

When we arrive back at the tattoo parlor, Christina and Will have not noticed our absence.

This is good because I think Christina is getting suspicious. We walk into the tattoo parlor and Christina is sitting in the chair, chatting to Will as if she wasn't getting a needle stuck in her left wrist.

We talk with them while Christina and Tris get their tattoos, and then go to the cafeteria for cake. Looking back on it, if I could go back and do it all again I would not have chosen any differently.

**Oh, but the story isn't over yet. I will document Tris and Four's lives over the course of a year, up to when the next pack of initiates finishes initiation. Got any ideas? PLEASE let me know**


	7. Invasion and Confession

Tris

I finish packing my things, getting ready to move into my own apartment on the other side of the compound.

It is in between Christina's and Four's apartments, with four rooms: a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom.

I wish I weren't alone though.

Sleeping in silence makes me think of my fears.

I may get a dog to share it with, even though nobody typically wants a dog after the aptitude test. All of Christina's stories about her bulldog Chunker has made me like dogs again.

I drag my bag down to the new apartment, twisting and turning to avoid a group of frantic, rushing people heading toward the glass building.

This day is the start of my new life.

Instead of facing fears or fighting the other initiates I will teach a knife throwing class for the twelve through fifteen year olds.

Once a year I will train the faction transfers with Four.

I will not need to be selfless, I will not need to clean up another's mess before attending to my own business.

I will be happy here.

I think.

I get to my new house just as Christina gets to hers, and after we move in she invites me over to her house.

Since her new job is being a makeup artist, she says she wants to practice on me.

Although if you ask me she doesn't need it because she has actually managed to make me pretty.

The girl in the mirror has the same blonde hair, small stature, and black clothing as I do, but I do not have full red lips, piercing eyes, and long shimmery eyelashes. I also have a scar on my cheek that this girl doesn't have. She isn't me.

Just as Christina's finishing there is a knock at her front door. We open it and Four walks in.

"Wow, Tris. You look gorgeous. I thought I'd find you here. You weren't at your apartment and I need to tell you something."

As we walk out the door, hand in hand, Christina gives a knowing look. I glare and stick my tongue out at her ( I am so done with acting my age) and leave.

"Let's go to my apartment, nobody's in there." I say.

But I am wrong. As I open my front door (huh, I t I locked it before going to Christina's) I see Eric rummaging through my bag.

"GET OUT,"I say firmly. "If you do not leave, as in RIGHT NOW, I will punch your face in."

Eric laughs. "You wouldn't do that. Not to a Dauntless leader."

"If she doesn't, I will, " adds Four. "You shouldn't be here anyway. This goes against five of the faction laws. If Max finds out you'll be guarding the fence for the rest of your pitiful little life."

Eric laughs again and leaves. Judging by his expression he hasn't found anything of note.

As soon as he slams the door I run to my bag to see if he took anything . The thought of Eric touching my stuff makes me nauseous. Luckily everything is there.

"Anything missing?" asks Four.

"Nope. All there. So what did you want to tell me?"

"It's about my real name. you must have figured out by now that I transferred from Abnegation, right?"

"Yes", I say.

Four takes a deep breath. "Here goes. My real name is..."

Four

"Tobias Eaton."


	8. Chasm

Tris

I remember now. Marcus Eaton, our neighbor and my dad's friend had a son named Tobias who joined the Dauntless two years ago. Tobias Eaton. It's true, I can see the resemblance between him and Marcus.

"He was... abusive." continues Four- Tobias. "He used to whip me and say it was for my own good. That's why I left Abnegation. Please don't tell anyone."

I nod. The Erudite for once were actually right about something.

"It's okay now," I whisper. "He won't hurt you ever again."

Tobias sniffles like he is holding back tears and I turn away.

" Want a glass of water?"

He nods. I give him a light kiss on the tip of his nose and get us both the water.

When I come back he is sitting on a chair, sketching something on a piece of paper. He has this intense look of concentration on his face. When I k what he is doing, he shows me the paper. On it is an amazing drawing of me.

"Wow, Tobias," I whisper. "This is awesome. Forget training initiates, you should have been a tattoo artist or something like that."

"I learned how to do this in Abnegation. My mother taught me."

Tobias gets up from his chair, grabs a piece of tape, and sticks the picture on my wall. I giggle. Tobias checks his watch.

"Crap, I'm late for a meeting with Max. Gotta go. Bye, Tris." He kisses me and leaves.

I wonder... If we had stayed in Abnegation would we still be together? I don't know.

Tobias

As I walk back from my meeting with Max, I see Eric walking in the direction of Tris's apartment. He is not up to anything good, that is for sure. I decide to follow him, ducking behind doorways whenever he looks behind him. He reaches the apartment door and casually knocks. I hide.

Tris opens the door, yells something at him, and is about to slam it in Eric's face when he says," Why don't we discuss this inside?"

Oh, no. They go inside and close the door. I leap toward Tris's apartment and burst in just as Eric holds a knife to her throat.

**A/N sorry I haven't posted in a while, I had too much homework. The next chapter should be out soon since I have nothing else to**


	9. Pretty Little Liar

Tobias

I am Dauntless, but I still think before I act. In seconds I have formulated a plan. I leap towards Eric and wrench the knife away from him before he even knows what is happening. Now Eric is the one cornered against the wall, and he is cowering in fear. I press the knife against his neck a little harder, enough to draw blood. It trickles in a dark line down his neck.

"Please don't kill me," Eric whimpers and I remember what his worst fear was during initiation. Fear of dying. I can use that to my advantage.

"If you don't want me to kill you then you have to promise not to EVER go near her again."

Eric nods, which is a mistake because the knife draws still more blood.

" If you hurt her again I swear that I will kill you, coward."

I release him. "Now get out of here or else."

He makes a beeline for the door. I swear if he were a dog he would have his tail between his legs.

"Why did you let him in?" I ask Tris. That was a very un-Tris-like act.

"He said..." Tris sniffles. " He said you had slipped and fallen into the Chasm."

That would explain everything. " Well, he's a liar and a cheat and don't listen to anything he says."

Tris nods.

"You need sleep," I say. "Come over to my place if you need anything." I leave, but I am still boiling mad. There are not enough knives to throw or guns to shoot at the wooden boards that serve as targets. I want revenge.

Tris

There is a knock on my door a few hours after Tobias leaves. At first I think it is Tobias, back from his meeting, but it is too loud and urgent. I open the door and stand face to face with Eric.

I scream at him to go away but he holds up a hand and says, "Wait. I was sent to tell you that Four has slipped and fallen in to the Chasm."

Wait, WHAT? What did he just say? My legs turn to jelly and I must lean against the wall for balance. Oh. My. God. Tobias is dead. Gone.

Eric says, "Why don't we discuss this inside?" I

nod and shakily make my way inside. Just as the door closes and I start to cry, Eric suddenly turns and presses a knife to my throat. " How do you do get through the simulations so fast, huh? How?"

I am in the training room, being held against the wall by Peter as he asks me virtually the same question. And I

can't

think.

Just then I hear the door open and Tobias races into the room. He wrenches the knife away from Eric and slams him against the wall. I slump down weakly. I only catch bits and pieces of what they say. Finally Tobias releases Eric and he runs away.

" Why did you let him in? "asks Tobias. I explain what happened.

He nods and says," Well, he's a liar and a cheat and don't listen to a word he says." I nod. I have learned my lesson.


	10. Shauna, Shauna

Tris

I wake up with a killer headache and the memory of last night fresh in my mind. How could I have been so stupid? Eric is not who they would send to tell me if Tobias fell into the Chasm. Why did I fall for that? I guess it's him. Tobias. My life would be as good as over if he was gone. How did he come to mean this much to me in such a short space of time? I groan, roll over, and get up for breakfast.

Eric does not show up for breakfast, which probably means he's scared. Tobias is extra protective, glaring at Zeke when he says I look good and reluctant to let me go shopping with Christina even though we are only going to the Pit to look for a dog for me to protect me from possible future Eric attacks and a dress for Christina. The Pit, as usual, is filled with people. I say a quick hello to Tori at the tattoo parlor and go to the clothing place with Christina.

When we arrive Christina instantly finds a strapless dress with a layered skirt that she looks wicked in, and picks out a simple but beautiful dress for me. It fits perfectly so she makes me get it. Then I want to go to the pet place but Christina drags me back to her apartment for yet another makeover. We are just coming out when I see Peter following me. Uh-oh. Not good.

Tobias

Shauna has started stalking me. Zeke tells me this as we walk to the Training Room for target practice. Instantly I am on guard. I knew that she was mad at me for rejecting her but I didn't know just how deep that went. I realize now that Shauna might nor be entirely sane. It's time to sort this all out. After target practice I go to Shauna's apartment.

" Heyy, Four," She says. Then she tries to kiss me. I barely manage to fend her off.

" Look, Shauna. It's over. I've got a girlfriend, and I don't want to get back together."

She pouts. "Why not?"

"I just don't, okay?"

"Fine then. Be that way." She holds open the door and ushers me out. I have a bad feeling about this. And my instincts are never wrong.


	11. Peter's Attack

Tris

I dash through the crowd in the pit, hoping to lose Peter before he does something awful to me. But I have no such luck. He catches up to me in an empty hallway and slams me against the wall. Oh, no.

"It was HIM!" Peter screams at me. "You only got first because you were with HIM!"

Peter wants to kill me because I am with Tobias. What a great week I'm having. First the Eric Incident. And now this.

"I'm going to kill you for this! Do you hear me, Stiff? I WILL KILL YOU!"

Then a crazy, psychotic idea enters my mind. This better work, because it's my last chance. I knee Peter you-know-where and while he writhes in pain, I yell, " Four!"

And he comes. The last things I remember are Tobias punching Peter and carrying me to my apartment. Then I black out.

**Sorry I made this so short, the next one will be longer. Next up: Make way for the next group of initiates 'cause I'm short on ideas. Thanks for reading!**


	12. the new initiates

**Ten months later...**

Tris

Exactly one year ago, I stood in this room, nervous and trembling. Waiting to decide my fate. That was back when I thought Caleb was going to be Abnegation and so was I. I had never kissed a boy, or jumped onto a train, or had real friends. I do not regret my choice. I scan the crowd of Abnegation, looking for my parents. When I see them my heart sinks. My father looks sad and seems ten years older then he is. Beside him my mother is still smiling but there is something sad and heavy about it. What must this be like for them?

I am so focused on my parents that I whack my bruised elbow on the door. I wince. Shauna still hasn't gotten over Tobias and she was trying to kill me in my sleep last night. Luckily Christina and Tobias arrived on the scene with a hair dryer (long story) and a few knives "borrowed" from the Training room before Shauna could do anything serious. I woke up this morning with a bruised elbow and a black eye. Tobias puts a hand on my shoulder to steady me, and my skin tingles at his touch. He guides me to my seat and we wait quietly for the choosing to begin.

I tune out the speech- it's the same every year, I've practically memorized it by now- and focus on the initiates. There's an Erudite girl that I instantly dislike, she has on a spray tan and way too much makeup. She's maybe five feet nine with her blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail. I hope she's not in Dauntless. There's an Amity boy with curly hair that isn't light or dark, it is somewhere in between. And most hauntingly, there is a small Erudite girl. She is pale and weak looking, with wispy reddish hair and a nervous look on her face. She reminds me of myself. I bite my lip.

The ceremony begins. The first to choose is the Erudite girl with too much makeup. She struts confidently up to the bowls and chooses... Dauntless. Too Much Makeup is with us. I suppress a sigh. A tall Abnegation boy whom I recognize distantly as one of Susan and Robert's cousins stays in Abnegation. The Amity boy and the small Erudite girl also decide on Dauntless. I can't help feeling glad.

As soon as the last boy makes his choice, Tobias and I leave. We have to get back to the compound before the initiates so we can welcome them onto the net. Marlene comes with us since she's training the Dauntless borns. She's going to have her hands full, there's nobody to help her since Lauren committed suicide after her boyfriend Sammy fell of a train and died. And apparently the Dauntless borns are a pretty wild group this year. Then we hear the train horn and the sound of many people jumping off.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX- PAGE BREAK-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Our trainees are: Andrea (otherwise known as Too Much Makeup), Jake from Amity, Tyler, who is a Candor boy that reminds me of Uriah, James who's like seven feet tall and also from Candor, an Erudite boy I don't like named Titus, a pretty redheaded Candor girl named Sarah, the smallish erudite girl called Mia, another Candor girl called Emily who has dark blonde hair and scowls at everything, and an Erudite girl, Sabrina, with long brown hair in a braid and a mischievous smile. There are no Stiffs this year.

This might actually be fun. As they jump into the net one by one, I notice that Titus is missing. Apparently he miscalculated the leap onto the building and fell seven stories to the ground. I won't miss him too much. Everyone else made it, though. altogether there are eight of them. This might actually be fun. Four nudges me with his shoulder. " My name's Tris and this is Four. We will be torturing, ahem excuse me, instructing all those who do not hail from Dauntless." James snickers. Tobias walks up to him and looks him straight in the eye.

" James, do you think this is a laughing matter? Because if so, we will let you wander around in the dark and get lost. I don't know what your old faction did, but here jokers end up hurt. Or worse. Understand?" James gulps. "Uh, yes, Four." "Good."

We give them the general tour and take them to dinner. Mia and Sabrina sit on either side of me. Mia looks around, probably to make sure that nobody's listening, and says softly, " I heard in Erudite that you people torture your initiates. Is it true?"

"Yeah, I think we'd all like to know that," says Andrea rudely from the next table over. She's sitting with Eric and Shauna and Peter. Ugh. I give her my best 'shut up or else' glare and focus back on Mia.

" Depends on what you consider torture." Sabrina giggles and stabs a piece of meat with her fork. I think that if they make it through initiation these two may just end up being my friends. Tobias raises an eyebrow at me. I check my watch. Time to go. Max will take the initiates from here- he took over training when Eric was demoted to guarding the fence for attacking me- so we are free to leave. I clear my plate, grab a piece of cake to take with me, and nudge Tobias. "Race you to your apartment." "You are soooooo going down!"

Tobias

Tris is sleeping at my place tonight so that Shauna won't go after her. Her house will be fine since her German shepherd Al will be guarding it ( he was at the vet last night.) "so what do you think of our initiates?" I ask her.

" I dunno. I like Mia and Sabrina but I want to punch Andrea in the face. Jake's nice too." I nod. I like Jake as well. His smile is infectious and he is funny without trying to be.

"i think Jake and Tyler are my favorites," I say. " Andrea's just plain annoying and James is too cocky. We need to take him down a notch." She grins evilly.

" Now that is something I could go for." We laugh and curl up on the bed. And just for a moment, I am happier than I've been in my entire life. " I love you Tris." "love you too." And we both drift off to sleep.

**A/N:**

**Thanks to The. Dauntless. Mockingjay for giving me the idea for the Shauna attack and to mutationsrule for Titus falling off the building. Please review. I'm off to play some more Minecraft . see how exciting my life is? :'(  
**


	13. Initiation Day One

Tris

I am on a train. Tobias sits across from me. "Where are we going?" I ask him. He doesn't answer but I know he heard me. He's looking straight at me. wait- he isn't looking at me. He's looking through me as if I am not there. What's going on?

Shauna enters the train car. Tobias runs to her, flings his arms around her, and kisses her on the lips. No, I want to scream, but my voice has failed me. Shauna pulls back from Tobias just long enough to say, " He's all mine. Forever." I start to cry. " Tris,"says a voice that originates from nowhere. I wake up.

Tobias is standing over me. " What's wrong, Tris?" He asks, a look of concern on his face.

"Nightmare," I get out.

" Do you want talk about it?"

I shake my head. He does NOT need to know that I dream about losing him to Shauna. Tobias lies back down. " You can tell me anything, you know," he says quietly. I nod. We both sit in silence for a while. As I drift back to sleep I hear Tobias say, " I love you, Tris." I smile. " Love you too Tobias." I go to sleep knowing that he would never do what he did in the dream.

It seems like seconds later when I wake to Tobias's voice. " Tris, it's time to get up."

"Bleargh. Training. I'm just glad that Eric isn't overseeing the process this time. At least we can be sure nobody's going to get dangled over the Chasm this year." Tobias snorts. " I hear that Eric is having a lot of fun guarding the fence." It feels good to laugh.

Since today's the first day of initiation we're shooting guns. The initiates still have to fight each other but when they've had enough they're allowed to concede. Knife throwing has also been taken out but archery has replaced it. At exactly 8:15, as all the transfer initiates stand in the Training room, Tobias explains this to them.

Of course it is James who protests. "This is stupid."

Tobias takes it fairly well. " Oh, yeah? Knowing how to defend yourself is stupid, huh? I'll tell you what, you don't want to walk out of this room not knowing how to shoot, because you will need that knowledge later in stage one, and if there's one sure ticket out of Dauntless it's trying to learn how to shoot in about three seconds."

James glares at the wall but does not reply.

Toble of the other initiates snicker. We start training. Sarah and Mia are the smallest initiates and have trouble lifting their guns, so I give them special tutoring. I've been in that situation before. By the time we get our lunch break everyone has hit the target ( there are no Al's this year, luckily) and Max is pleased with their progress. Tomorrow will be harder- I have to pair the initiates for fights and I've been thinking about it all day. The only grouping that I've decided on is Sarah and Mia, since they're evenly matched. I grab a bowl of macaroni, some peas, and a cookie-ice cream sandwich and sit down to eat. Tobias is off who-knows-where, Uriah wanted to talk to him about something, so Sarah and Mia sit on either side of me. Sabrina pauses by Tobias's usual spot.

"Will Four toss me into the Chasm if I sit here?"

"No. He's nicer than he seems in training. He was my instructor too."

" You would know," says Andrea from Peter's table, and laughs. She has an annoying laugh. She sounds like a pig. I am so done with that girl. I'm about ready to smack her. Luckily for me Christina walks over and does it for me. I smile evilly. This is so much fun.

Tobias

Instead of eating with Tris and the initiates I go talk with Uriah.

"So what do you need help with?" I ask him.

"Girl trouble," replies Uriah.

"Then get Tris to talk to you 'cause I am obviously NOT a girl."

" Well I hoped that you could give me tips at least." Uriah pouts.

"'kay, fine."

" I kinda have a problem. Both Lynn and Marlene have asked me out, and I like them both, and I don't know what to do!"

"Oh, please, Uri. Don't tell me you dragged me away from my lunch just to talk about this."

"Yeah, I kinda did."

I sigh. " Isn't it obvious? Pick the one you like most."

"All right."

I leave Uriah and go back to lunch, only to find that an initiate has stolen my spot. This is gonna be a long day.

**A/N: I'm sorry this took me so long to post, my parents stole my kindle and I've been too, well, distracted to think about the story lately... ;)**

**Please review, I could always use more ideas!**


	14. Problems

**A/N: If you like the story then check out the YouTube video that inspired it: go to YouTube and search divergent Tris and Four so cold. (Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to this video. Or to Divergent for that matter. So don't even ask.) That said, here is Chapter 14:**

Tris**  
**

I really need to think about who's fighting who, so I go to the room where I first kissed Tobias for a little peace and quiet. I haven't seen anybody else in there for the entire year that I've been here so it must be empty. But no, I am wrong. When I stumble in I find Peter and Andrea- kissing. Oh, god. When I enter the room they hastily break apart.

" Get outta here," say both Peter and Andrea in unison.

"Don't worry I'm going. Wouldn't want to interrupt your little date. And by the way you two are perfect for each other. You're both really stupid and pure evil."

I leave the room. Peter and Andrea together? This is just too funny. I head to the only other place I can think in peace:the Dauntless pool. I discovered it about six months ago and ever since Tobias taught me to swim, it has been my refuge.

"Tris," I hear someone whisper behind me. I whip around, prepared to punch the owner of the voice, but it's only the smallest initiate, Mia.

"Hi," I say. Mia looks at the water in fascination, and then asks, "Could you teach me how to swim?"

As I show her the basics I tell her all about what happened with Peter and Andrea. She snorts. "I almost expected that. They are perfect for each other."

"Want to see something awesome?" I ask Mia. She nods eagerly. At the end of the room there's 20-foot-deep water and a bunch of super high diving platforms for crazy daredevil stunts. I go to the highest one and jump, flipping end over end until I hit the water feet first.

When I swim back to Mia, she asks, "Who taught you how to do that?"

"Four did."

"I'm not surprised."

I roll my eyes. " Have you been listening to Andrea?"

"She talks so loud in the dorms that it's kinda hard not to listen to her. She was saying that you're with Four and that he's too hot for you. You don't even want to know what she's been calling you. Of course I don't believe a word she says."

I snort. " You know Eric, the guy that sits with Peter and Andrea who's always scowling? Andrea thinks that he's hot too. He used to be a Dauntless leader but he got kicked off for being a creeper and trying to kill me."

we both laugh.

" So I'm trying to figure out who's fighting who tomorrow. I put you with Sarah. Is that okay?"

Mia nods. " You should put Andrea with James, she so deserves it." we giggle. By the time we leave for dinner we have figured out the pairings. Andrea will not know what hit her. That'll teach her to call me a stinkin' little b####.

Mia

After dinner when I go back to the dorms, Andrea is standing around bad mouthing Tris. Again.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" I ask her.

"Oh, shut up, what was your name again, Mimi. Now as I was saying..." As she talks on, half the Dauntless borns walk in.

" What are YOU doing here?" asks Andrea snarkily.

One of the girls, Hannah, retorts, "our dorms are infested with rats so Max said that we have to move in with you guys for the rest of initiation."

Andrea groans. I smile. If it makes Andrea mad it's all right with me. And that's when he walks in.


	15. Rats and Crushes

Mia

When I see him, I lose all sense of where I am, and all things going on around me seem to stop for a moment. I guess I didn't notice him on the train that took us here from the choosing ceremony, and I have not seen him since because he's a Dauntless born, but I see him now. He has floppy brown hair, green eyes, and a sweet smile. He's perfect. But he doesn't see me. He barely glances at me and walks straight over to Andrea. I sigh. Of course. Andrea is tall and willowy. I am short and while Tyler says I'm cute, I'm not pretty in the way Andrea is. But then again, it's obvious that this boy has not seen Andrea without her excessive makeup on or heard her bad mouth Tris or talk about how she's dating both Eric and Peter. I have.

" Hi, my name's Zach. What's yours?"

"I'm Andrea." she says, batting her eyelashes.

Ugh. I want to punch her. Is two boyfriends not enough for her? She makes me want to be sick. Out of the corner of my eye I see Jake walk up to Zach.

" She isn't worth the trouble, man. She's with two guys already." Jake says, and they both laugh. I nudge Sabrina and Sarah.

"Want to go to the training room? I need to blow off some steam."

Jake hears me and says in a high-pitched voice "Can I come too?" I roll my eyes.

"Sure."

Soon six of us- me, Sarah, Sabrina, Emily, Jake, and Zach- are heading to the training room. The punching bag is still hung up so I hit it and kick it until all my anger has disappeared. The others watch in silence. Finally Jake says, "Wow, Mia. You're usually so calm. What could make you this angry?"

"It's more like WHO could make me this angry. And the answer's back in the dorms with too much makeup and too many boyfriends."

"Andrea?"

"Yeah."

"Don't listen to her. She's a jerk but she's probably going to fail initiation. She sucks at fighting."

I smile. At least I have friends here.

Tris

Uriah asked me to tell the Dauntless borns that he'll be late tomorrow- his cat ate something and we still aren't sure what. When I get to the Dauntless born dorms, I see the initiates all running around or sitting on the beds, screaming and pointing. I look down and instantly wish I had Uriah's cat or my German shepherd, Al, with me, because there is a two foot long rat loose in the dorms. I'm out of here. I run screaming my head off to Tobias's apartment. He lets me in immediately.

"What is it?" he asks.

"gigantic rat... Dauntless borns... dorms..." I get out between gasping breaths.

"Oh, god. A rat in the Dauntless born dorms?" I nod.

" Get the dog," Tobias says, and I run to grab Al from my apartment. I'm so glad my initiation was last year.

Tobias

I drag Tris's dog all the way to the Dauntless born dorms. She really needs to start feeding him less, he probably weighs as much as Mia does. When I get to the dorms, Max is already there, alternating between yelling at the initiates to go sleep in the transfer dorms and unsuccessfully shooting at the rat. Luckily Al the dog seems to like eating rat. But the Dauntless borns have to move in with the transfers for the rest of initiation, because between repairing Max's bullet holes and getting rid of the entire nest of rats that Al found, we have our hands full. I'm so happy my initiation is already over.

**A/N: how did you like The Rat Incident? Does anyone want a Zach pov ;)**

**PLEASE let me know! Thanks**


	16. Juliet minus Romeo?

Mia

Zach, Zach, Zach. I cannot stop thinking about him. Why do I look for him wherever I go? Why do I find myself watching him in the Training room, in the cafeteria, everywhere? And it's not just me either. He has been watching back. As I sit on my bed, hugging my knees, I hum my favorite song and try to think of something else. It doesn't work.

It's been five days since we first met and already I am falling for him. In some ways this is good- I push myself harder and harder in training, trying to get him to notice me. But I'm no Andrea. When he talks to me I turn red and stutter. I can't do anything right when I'm around him. It's hopeless.

Someone pushes open the door. I'm hoping that it's Zach but I have no such luck- it's Darren, one of the Dauntless borns. He's six foot seven and built like an ox, and judging by the look he gives me he's not in a good mood.

"You've got your feet on my bunk," he says nastily.

I look down. My feet are safe on my own bunk. " Nope," I say, struggling to keep my voice calm. This is not good. But it gets worse, because my reply is my mistake.

" GET YOUR FEET OFF MY BUNK!" yells Darren, and he slams me against the wall.

" WHEN I SAY GET YOUR FEET OFF MY BUNK THEN YOU GET YOUR FEET OFF MY BUNK!" Darren punches me in the face. And then Zach walks in.

"Get away from her," Zach says in a quiet, deadly voice. Darren punches me again. I'm trying hard not to lose consciousness. Zach yanks Darren off of me and kicks him in the groin. Darren collapses to the ground, his face red. Zach grabs my hand.

"C'mon Mia. Let's get outta here." I lose consciousness just as we get to the hallway.

xxx Page Break xxx

When I wake up I'm in the infirmary. Zach is leaning over me.

"How long have I been out?" I ask him.

" Oh, not long. About half an hour."

"Why did you save me?"

I couldn't let him do that. Not to you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Zach never gets the chance to answer me, because just then the nurse walks in.

"How are you feeling?" asks the nurse.

"Kind of crummy," I say. " My leg hurts and I've got a killer headache."

The nurse nods. "That was expected. You can leave in a half hour but I would advise you to take it easy." She leaves the room.

Zach clears his throat. "I've got somewhere I need to be. See you around."

My heart is doing flip flops and I seem to have lost the ability to speak, so I just nod. Zach leaves. Oh. My. God. I think Zach likes me.

Zach

I leave Mia in the infirmary after the nurse tells her that there's no permanent damage done. My step quickens as I walk to the Pit, where I know Laura will be waiting for me. I've known her since we were in a weapons class together two years ago and we just started dating last month. I spot her waving at me from the railing, and I sprint over to where she is.

"Hey, Zach. Where've you been? I've been waiting for you forever."

"I went to the dorms to grab something and I found Darren beating up one of the transfers, so I at up Darren and took the transfer to the infirmary."

Laura nods, leans in, and kisses me. I think it's the happiest moment of my life.

**A/N: Did you like my little plot twist? Sorry I didn't update sooner, I did not have access to my kindle. I thought it would be interesting to have Zach rescue Mia and then be in love with someone else. And yes, I kind of had my heart broken recently. Thanks for reminding me :( PLEASE REVIEW **


	17. Heartbreak Town

**A/N: For those of you who don't like the Laura-Zach pairing, do not despair. Zach and Mia will get together... eventually. Here is the next chapter.**

Mia

When the nurse releases me fifteen minutes later, I go to the Pit to find Tris and ask if I can sleep in her apartment for a couple days, just until things cool down. I don't find her. What I do find is Zach kissing another girl.

Betrayal is the first thing I feel, which is dumb for several reasons. First of all, I wasn't even going with Zach in the first place. Second, Zach is allowed to have a girlfriend. I just thought- well, I thought that he liked _me_. I go to the Pit railing and look down. The churning water below reflects how I feel inside. Someone taps my shoulder. I turn around. It's Zach.

"Tris, have you met my girlfriend Laura?"

I shake my head. I've seen her around but I've never really talked to her. Laura waves.

"Laura, this is Mia. She's a friend, I guess."

"You guess," I say flatly.

Zach grins. "Okay, fine. Then you are a friend."

How do I tell him I want to be more than friends? I don't know. I turn back to the Chasm.

"I'll see you around, then," says Zach. I nod, but my insides feel like they're being torn in half.

xxxxx-page break-xxxxx

I go to one of the only people I trust with boy problems- Christina. I sit in her apartment with my head on the table, unable to think of anything but my own misery.

"Want a glass of water?" she asks. I shake my head.

"It had to happen sometime you know. Everyone deals with heartbreak."

"What about Tris and Four?" I ask.

"When Tris first fell in love with Four, he was dating someone else and she thought it was hopeless."

I sigh.

"One of the best things you could do is to just forget about Zach and move on."

I shake my head. "I don't think I can do that."

"That boy has really gotten to you, hasn't he? All right then, you need to edge Laura out of the rankings. That's the only thing that will do you any good."

Something inside me hardens like steel. I can do this. Whatever it takes.

Tris

Tobias has a meeting with the Dauntless leaders, so I walk back from dinner alone. As I wander around the Pit, deep in thought, I see someone following me. Oh no. I break into a sprint, racing up the Pit pathway. My stalker follows me. I cannot see their face.

First I will lead the stalker to an empty hallway. Then I will kick their butt. I slide the knife out of my pocket and hold it at the ready. And the person comes. Or more accurately, three people: Shauna, Eric, and Peter.

I can't win. I know that in my heart. But I have to try. I kick Peter in the groin right away and he collapses to the ground, leaving only Eric and Shauna. Shauna throws a punch at my face and I dodge, but Eric comes from behind and delivers a thundering kick to the back. I can't breathe. I keel over onto the ground. Shauna holds a knife- my knife- to my throat.

"We're gonna kill you," Shauna says viciously. " Just like we will kill your pretty little boyfriend, Four."

I say nothing. Shauna smiles.

"I don't see Loverboy anywhere. He's not gonna come and save you. Which is good, because we want your death to be slow and painful."

"Four!" I scream as loud as is humanly possible.

" Wrong answer, sweetheart," says Eric, and he punches me in the jaw. I black out.

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Sorry that last scene sounded a lot like Clove and Katniss from The Hunger Games- I was watching that on Friday and I had an inspiration. Please Review! I will try to update soon.**


	18. Silence and Suffering

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. My evil parents have cruelly stolen my kindle (I bought it with my own hard earned money. Therefore they should not have the right to take it). But anyway it's the second snow day in a row- yesss, awesomeness- and I have nothing else to do so here goes...**

Tris

I wake up in the infirmary with Tobias holding my hand and Christina and Mia leaning over me.

"Four," I say weakly.

"I hear you," he says.

"What happened to them?"

"Eric got kicked out of Dauntless. Shauna and Peter are in huge trouble. None of them would tell Max, Alyssa, and Evan-"

"Who're Alyssa and Evan?"

"The other two Dauntless leaders. Anyway, they wouldn't tell the leaders why they attacked you. But it won't happen again."

I am allowed to leave as soon as the nurse is sure I'm okay. I'm boiling mad. This has happened too many times. I want revenge. Eric being factionless is nowhere near enough. I could kill Shauna and Peter. I turn around and see that Mia also has a black eye.

" Did they get you too?'

"Nope. I got beat up by a Dauntless born. Zach saved me." she sighs and looks unhappy. Something is wrong.

"Okay, Mia. We are going back to my apartment and you are going to tell me exactly what's wrong." I grab her arm and drag her through the crowd towards my apartment. This is a very bad time for Mia to be emotionally unstable. Simulations begin two days from now. I am so focused on my destination that I don't see where we're going ad we bump smack into two Dauntless borns. One of them is Zach. the other is a girl I don't know.

"Hi, Mia. Hi, Tris. Tris, have you met my girlfriend Laura yet?"

I shake my head. This must be what's bothering Mia. Poor her. She told me all about her and Zach but she must've just found out about Laura today.

"How's the head, Mia?" asks Zach.

" Well, the nurse said that I don't have a concussion but I do have a killer headache." I can hear a note of sadness creep into her voice as Laura takes Zach's hand.

"You're welcome to hang out with us," says Zach. "we were going to get tattoos."

"Thanks but Tris wanted to talk to me about something. See you around. " And with that she turns and heads for my apartment. After I shut the door she sinks down on the couch.

"Did you figure it out?"

I nod and she sighs and looks out the window." I can't believe this. I thought we had made a connection..."

xxxxxxxxx Page Break xxxxxxxxxxx

Two days later...

Mia

Today is the day we start the simulations. I'm nervous, even though I shouldn't be. I told Tris that I was Divergent last night, and she assured me that I would do fine. So now I sit in the hallway and wait and play tic-tac-toe with Tyler. He gives up after I win for the fifth time in a row.

"How are you so good at this game?"

"I had a lot of practice. And besides, I researched tic-tac-toe for two months in Erudite."

Tyler laughs." Would it be awkward if I sat next to you?'

"No," I say. He comes over and sits close to me. Like, really close.

"this isn't exactly what I thought you meant," I say, and we both laugh. Awkwardness aside, it is nice to have a guy friend.

Tris comes out from the room at the end of the hall and calls my name. Dun-dun-dun. It's time to face my doom.

**Sorry I took so long to update. I will try to update soon**


	19. The Victims

Tris

Emily is first into the simulation room. I swear, that girl never smiles. Even as Tobias injects her with the serum, she scowls at the wall. Her simulation starts with her in a dark room. Then the lights come on and she is strapped to an operating table. Doctors in white robes and masks, wielding scissors and knives, advance threateningly. Emily screams and twists and turns, but she cannot break free of her restraints. I turn away from the screen as the doctors go to work on her. Ugh. Sick.

She comes out of it about 9 minutes later. Emily is obviously not divergent. She's shaking all over and her eyes are wide with fear. In an effort to seem unafraid, she asks snarkily, "Can I go now? Or will you people keep me here and torture me the entire day?"

I can tell she's fighting off tears.

"You can leave," says Tobias.

I go to the hallway and call Mia in. Her simulation is something I have never seen before: Mia is attacked by an army of people in gas masks saying,"I want my mummy."

Weird. But I think Mia breaks some sort of record, because she's out of it in exactly two minutes.

"What were those?" I ask her.

"Well, back in Erudite, we would occasionally watch old science fiction shows to get ideas for inventions. There was a show called Doctor Who that I loved, except for one episode. The people in the simulation were called the Empty Children. I just... find them really scary. I have no idea why."

"Oh."

Mia leaves and I call in the next victim, er, initiate. This stuff is fun.

xxxxx-page break-xxxxx

About two weeks later

This year, instead of having the feast and rankings right after initiation, we will have a huge, blowout Dauntless party right after initiation. The feast and rankings will be the day after. I think that Dauntless born who's dating Mia's crush is going to fail, she's awful at the simulations. Too Much Makeup and three Dauntless borns have already been eliminated. And today is the day of Initiation.

xxxxx page break xxxxx

Mia, Sarah, and Sabrina do well. I knew they would. Zach, Tyler, and Jake also do well. I can't wait for the party. Christina's hosting it, so it should be good. As I walk back to my apartment, I think that life couldn't be more perfect.

**A/N: again, sorry I didn't update sooner. I would have done it last night but I cut my foot and it was bleeding all over the place and... Yeah. so anyway, review if you want Laura to fail initiation. Mwahahahaha. Gotta go yell at my sisters for singing the Dora the Explorer theme song (my god, I HATE that show) right in front of my door. (Hey, maybe I should change Laura's name to Dora) Anyway, bye for now! And sorry this chapter was so short.**


	20. Oooh, Plot Twist!

**Sorry the last chapter was short and kinda crappy. This one will be better. I think. Here goes... (By the way, there is a long author's note at the end)**

Mia

Oh. My. God. For as long as I live, I am NEVER going my fear landscape again. Even though I had only eight fears, I'm pretty sure I will have nightmares for the rest of my life. To make matters worse, I was the last person to go, so practically every person in Dauntless knows what a wimp I am- I was crying during one of my fears. Although my time was only fifteen minutes, which is exceptionally low. Tyler and Zach were probably laughing their heads off at my reactions. Not that they did any better. At one point Tyler was covering his ears and screaming. ha-ha. I walk out of the fear landscape room to go get ready for the party.

just as I leave the room, Christina spots me and practically puts a choke hold on me ( and believe me, I know what I'm talking about.)

"Oh, no, you don't, Mia. I'm going to help you get ready." she announces.

typical Christina behavior. Protesting is useless, as I've learned the hard way, so I don't put up a fight and let Christina drag me to her apartment, where she stares intently at my face.

"Ohmigod Mia. Your eyebrows. You need some serious help." She picks up a pair of tweezers, and all I can think is why wasn't she in my fear landscape?

xxxxx page break xxxxx

A few hours later, my eyebrows and legs are stinging, my nails are clipped and painted gold, my hair is in a braided hairstyle, and I actually look pretty. Apparently Christina's apartment didn't have the stuff she needed, so we went to the beauty parlor where she works. Tris got a makeover from Christina as well. It was hilarious to see her trying not to scream as Christina yanked hair off her legs. Now all three of us look amazing, and it's almost time for the party. The three of us plus Four and Will walk to Uriah's apartment.

Inside it's already a madhouse. People are everywhere, eating, drinking, laughing. Tyler sees me and waves me over to a group that includes Zach, Sabrina, Laura (sigh) and Jake.

" Want some chips?" asks Tyler. I walk over and grab potato chips. Darren comes over, a beer in his hand. Uh oh. This can't be good.

"So, Mia. We still have a score to settle." he says drunkenly.

Immediately Tyler and Zach take defensive positions in front of me.

"You don't get to go near her, Darren. Not after what you pulled," says Zach.

I feel warmth in my chest. At least he likes me as a friend .Darren takes another step towards me and they lose it. Zach punches him in the nose while Tyler sneaks around from behind and hits Darren in the head. Darren gets knocked out cold. A couple people come over to break up the fight but there's no need. Someone drags Darren to the infirmary and everyone goes back to partying.

Laura is on her second beer. Ugh. I will never understand why Zach likes someone like that. I sigh and stare off into space. Then Tyler taps me on the shoulder.

" Mia, do you want to go out with me?"

Wait. What?

**A/N: Okay, so here's the thing. The reason why my chapters aren't as frequent as they used to be is because I have a problem. I am Mia in this situation. I have a Tyler and a Zach (not their real names.) My Zach is with someone else but I've liked him since fifth grade. My Tyler I just realized I liked a month ago. We're friends but sometimes I think he likes me. I have no idea what to do. Instead of typing my story I think about them. And to make matters worse, I'm in eighth grade and I've never had a boyfriend before. I NEED HELP! ( And while you're at it, write a review.)**


	21. Rescue Me

**I am so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, ****so, so, so, so, **SOOOOOOO sorry that I haven't updated in like forever. I didn't have the time... or my kindle... but anyway here goes nothing...

Mia

"No, Tyler. I'm sorry. But I kinda like someone else."

"oh. Ok."

He blushes and looks away. I hope I didn't hurt him. I check my watch. It's past midnight. I should leave. But something about Zach, about me not wanting to leave him alone with Laura, and the fact that he somehow, inexplicably, draws me in. I look over to where him, Laura, Andrea, and a few others are conversing and something inside me just lays down and dies. He's way out of my league. I will never be part of his world the way Laura and Andrea are. It's a good thing Tris and Christina come over when they do because I don't think I can bear it anymore. They walk me back to the dorm in silence. I curl up on my bunk and fall into a deep, dreamless sleep, too heartsick to do anything else.

The Next Day

I am up with the sun, unable to sleep out of nervousness. What if I failed initiation? What if Zach failed initiation? I have no idea what life would be like without him. I was up all night, reliving the party, how he and Laura were french kissing, and I was standing in the corner watching...

_Get a grip,_ I tell myself. _Get over him. He will never be yours._ But I can't, somehow I just can't...

I have to run, to go somewhere. Sarah rolls over and mutters when I hit my head on her bunk but otherwise everything is quiet. I go to an empty, dark hallway and cry my heart out. And this is where Zach and Laura and Andrea and Tyler find me maybe half an hour later, my tears gone after i have rinsed my puffy eyes in the drinking fountain.

"I was wondering where you went, they're announcing the rankings in 20 minutes," Tyler says. I give him my best wolf stare. I don't trust anybody right now. Andrea looks me up and down, smirking and nudging Laura when she sees my ginormous black t-shirt and tattered shorts. Ugh. NOT today. I can deal with them on normal days but this is NOT a normal day. And I am SO through with them.

"Look at what the Erudite midget is wearing. UGH. I wouldn't be caught dead in that." says Andrea. No she wouldn't. I know for a fact that she dresses in tight, skimpy clothes that show off her new tattoo.

"Andrea, if I were you I wouldn't be bugging my fellow initiates about their fashion choices. I would be biting my nails and worrying that i'm not good enough to pass initiation. Now GET LOST before I shove your nose up into your brain." I'll do it, too, if she doesn't leave.

"Hey, now," Zach says, "I don't think-"

But before I can finish my sentence Andrea makes a dive at me and I raise my fist to punch her. But before anything can happen Tyler grabs her and pulls her back. Zach grabs my hand and gently tugs me toward him. If it were anyone else I would pull away and go hit Andrea but this is Zach. Suddenly I'm too aware of my surroundings and how warm Zach's skin is...

'Hey, Mia, calm down, I'm taking you over to the dining hall, ok?" says Zach. "And YOU, Andrea- just lay off her alright? can't you see she's in enough pain already?"

How could he tell? I washed way any sign of my tears. And I'm a VERY good actress. He takes my hand and pulls me in the opposite direction of the dining hall. _Where are we going?_

**Ok so I have a really long list of excuses for the fact that I basically abandoned my fan fiction account but the three real reasons are:**

**1. My parents stole my kindle**

** 2. I was on google plus**

**3. I was daydreaming about... uhm... well I'm not saying. My lips are sealed. Sorry!**

**So any way PLEASE forgive me, the next chapter should be out soon.**


	22. Suicidal

**Thanks for the advice and reviews! I know this next chapter will sound like chapter 2, but oh well...**

Zach

I pull Mia towards the pit. "Where are we going?" she asks.

"you'll see." I reply. I lead her towards a room that I found last year. It's probably some sort of armory but I've never seen anyone in there. Rusted weapons line the walls, which are smooth metal instead of rough stone. Dirty water drips from a crack in the corner. It's the only place in the Dauntless compound where I can truly be alone, tucked away from the shouts and laughter of the rest of the compound.

"So what's bugging you?"

She sighs and turns away, watching the water from crack. Drip. Drip. Drip. Suddenly I don't see the crack, I see Mia in a corner at the party last night, a tear dripping down her face, and i'm almost certain I know what's bothering her. I should have known... her eyes when she first saw me with Laura... _Why am I so stupid?_

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," I say, and she nods silently, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth.

Mia

I think he's figured it out. How I really feel about him. The real reason I blew up at Andrea and Laura. Now my life is really over. "how did you figure it out?' I ask softly.

"figure out what?"

'That I was in pain." _That I need you._

"Your eyes. The look on your face when we found you. did you spend the night there?"

I shake my head no. _why?_ I think. _why me? Why does he have to be taken?_

Half an hour later

Rankings

1. Mia

2. Zach

3. Sabrina

4. Tyler

5. James

6. Emily

7. Darren

8. Sarah

9. Jake

10. Andrea

11. Laura

The rest of the names I don't recognize. Even though Andrea stays, Laura is cut. And I am first- and judging from the looks that Darren and James give me, I'm dead.

"Nice job, Mia," Zach says quietly. Sarah, Sabrina, Emily and I have a total group hug. And just then we hear a scream.

" NO! I won't do it. I CAN'T live FACTIONLESS!" The scream comes from Laura.

"Laura, please- " Zach says, but she runs from the cafeteria straight to the Pit.

And throws herself over the railing.

**Dun dun dunnnnnn! Mia has no competition now, or so it seems- but Laura just may survive that drop... MWAHAHAHAHAHA! The next chapter should be out soon 'cause I've got nothing else to do. Thanks for reading and PLEASE review.**


	23. Back from the dead

Mia

Everything seems to be going in slow motion. Laura free falls from the edge towards the bottom. Zach screams. Andrea seems to be in shock. And I am running, farther, farther, to the train. I'm officially Dauntless now, so I can leave the compound alone. And even though Laura was certainly no friend of mine, I cry and let the train rock me into oblivion. I go to the only place I can think of. My twin brother Kaeden transferred to Abnegation, so I go to their sector of the city. I leap off the train and spot Kaeden almost immediately. He's walking along the cracked sidewalk with a girl about our age. He looks up and sees me standing there.

"Mia, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Are you okay?" he asks. "Did you fail initiation? You look like someone just shot your best friend."

It only takes a few minutes to explain the whole Laura thing. Kaeden and the girl listen intently. when I'm done, the girl says, "she's gone. Theres nothing to do about it now. Some would rather be dead than factionless." Kaedn startles.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Mia, this is Alyssa. Alyssa, this is my twin Mia."

We exchange nods, and I check my watch. "oh, crud, I gotta go. We're picking jobs in half an hour."

I sprint back to the tracks, leap on the train, and ride back to Dauntless.

As soon as I get back to the compound I look for Zach. I am almost certain that I know where he is, in the room he showed me earlier. I am right. He is sitting in the corner with his head in his hands, oblivious to the water dripping on his head. I sit next to him.

"hey," he says, his voice raw with emotion.

I look at his face suspiciously. He's been crying. And suddenly i want to put my arms around him, tell him the truth, about how I really feel. but i don't. His girlfriend just died.

"Laura isn't dead."

I startle. "What? That's impossible. nobody could have survived that.'

"She did. She's at the city hospital now. critical condition."

And suddenly all of my anger, my fire, is back.

**Sorry this chapter is so short and crappy. My mom is about to kill me, though, so I have to get off the computer.**


	24. This Chapter rated PG 13

**Sorry I haven't updated in like forever, and sorry this chapter is so violent. But oh well...**

**Two weeks later...**

Zach POV

Laura actually survived her crazy suicide jump. I'm happy even though i shouldn't be, because she now has to go live factionless. But she's alive. And here with me. At least for a little while.  
She comes back to Dauntless to say her goodbyes and get her stuff. I tell her I'll meet her in the abandoned armory I found a while ago, and let her get ready. I'm going to miss her so much. I have no idea what life will be like without her. Fifteen minutes after she arrives back at the Dauntless compound, I sprint to the armory for one last kiss and to say goodbye. And that's when I hear it. Laura is inside the armory talking to someone. Someone with a deep, low voice. Then silence.

i burst into the armory only to find Laura kissing Peter. They hastily break apart when the door opens, but it's too late. the damage has been done.

" Look, i can explain-" Laura says, but I don't want to hear all the stuff about how she wasn't looking for a long term relationship and all that. Right now, I'm mad. Really mad. And I feel like punching someone.

I punch Peter in the face.

Mia

Something bad is happening. I have no idea how I know this, but I've learned to trust my instincts, and so I run. I run fast, past the dining hall, on towards the abandoned armory. The door is ajar, and Zach and Peter are fighting, while Laura smirks in the corner.  
Laura.  
I bet she was with Peter all along. I bet she did this on purpose, because even though Zach was one of the best fighters during initiation, he could never win against Peter. Everyone in the room knows this. and I'm so done with Laura. She insults me, fine. I'll get back at her later. But if she gets Zach seriously hurt, or worse, killed, then she'd better watch out. She doesn't know who she's dealing with. Before she even notices that I'm in the room, I leap at her. I hit her hard, targeting wounds that have not completely healed. She collapses to the ground, writhing in pain. I kick her in the ribs, in the face, in the leg. She raises her hands in a feeble attempt to block the blows, but I wrench her hand to the side and hear a crunch as fingers snap. I won't need to worry about _her_ for a while.

I hear a thud, and i turn just in time to hear Zach hit the wall, unconscious. Zach. NO. Peter smirks, and I attack him too, even though I could never win against him. I kick him in the balls before he realizes what's happening, and while he's distracted, I make a dive for his neck. And then some other force pulls me off of him, and a blur kicks, punches, hits Peter over and over again.  
Four.  
And Tris.

Tris

It takes a while to get things sorted out. How Laura was cheating on Zach, and how Zach found her kissing Peter. Why he attacked Peter and Mia, somehow sensing what was going on, went for Laura. Peter is stuck cleaning the compound for a month. Laura is already factionless, so she isn't punished. Mia and zach are in trouble, but it's nothing too severe, or so Tobias tells me as we sit in his apartment, discussing what happened.

"Poor Mia," I say. "She's in love with Zach, and she would do anything for him. that's why she attacked Peter. but until recently, Zach was with that dirty cheat Laura."

Tobias nods and looks down at the floor. "There's something I need to talk to you about, a decision I have to make."

"What?"

"Max wants to make me a Dauntless leader."


	25. Mind Games

**So here's the next chapter. I've been a little slow on the updates because of schoolwork and not having my kindle, but we have only a few more school days left so I'll be updating A LOT over the summer. Anyway, here goes...**

Mia

I wake up to a searing pain in my ribs and a black eye. I'm in the infirmary, but there's nobody else around at the moment.  
Which I don't mind, because even worse than the pain in my body is the pain in my heart.  
Zach fought with Peter- _Peter_, one of the biggest, toughest Dauntless I know- for Laura. Laura, who was just playing mind games with him the whole time. I don't think she ever really cared about him. But I did. I still do. But he doesn't care about me. Not like that, anyway.  
I prop myself up on one elbow and spot Zach a few beds down, his body covered with cuts and bruises. He's breathing evenly, and he isn't hooked up to any machines, so I don't think he's hurt too badly. He's still unconscious, though, and his left arm is wrapped in a cast.  
I hurt for him, because what Laura did was so wrong, so unbearable, that even though I messed her up and most likely sent her to the emergency room, Zach is still wounded, still hurting. And that's not right.

I sit up and examine myself in the mirror across the room, wincing as more pain shoots through my ribs. I think I broke something. My reflection stares back at me, pale as a ghost, my hair messy and my right eye surrounded by purple-blue bruises. I look like I fell off a train. I lie back down, thinking that at least I avenged myself, that at least Zach's here, at least Laura is factionless. But the pain of heartbreak is still weighted in my chest.

I hear a creak, and a groan, and I know instantly that Zach has woken up. He's sitting on his bed, examining his wounds. I sit, hugging my knees to my chest, and watch him. Even with all the injuries, he's still the most beautiful boy in the world. He lifts his head, and his pained green eyes meet mine.

"What happened to you?" he says, his voice filled with concern. Maybe he does care for me. But I can't tell him how i instantly knew something was wrong because of him. I can't.

"I heard a scream in the abandoned armory that you showed me. I ran and when I got there you and Peter were beating the crud out of each other and Laura was sitting on the floor, laughing. It was horrible. I went for her and messed her up - actually she's probably in the emergency room- and when Peter knocked you out I went for him too. Luckily Tris and Four interfered before he could hurt me that badly, but I have a black eye and I think I broke a rib or two."

"Oh."

We sit in silence for a moment, each of us contemplating the other. He walks over to where I am and sits down next to me. He puts his head in his hands and says softly, "I can't believe she did that to me. I _thought_ she wanted me, I thought she loved me too..."

"hey," I say sternly. "It's allright. It wasn't your fault. She was just playing games with you. I know it's hard to see her with someone else, but you'll live."

He tilts his head to look at me, tossing his hair out of his face. "You lost someone too, didn't you." It isn't a question. I look away, not wanting to answer.  
"Who was it?"

**I was feeling inspired today so I snuck on the computer to write. I'll have my kindle back soon so updates will be faster then. Until next chapter...**


	26. Afraid of being broken again

Zach

She wasn't expecting that. I can tell by the expression on her face. But I need to know. I need to know why she looks at my like that. Like she wants to say something but she's too scared of being broken again.  
And I remember that when I showed her the armory, I caught a glimpse of what was bothering her. It turns out my guess was right.

She turns away, towards the wall.

Maybe I shouldn't have asked. Maybe Mia should have remained a mystery. I am asking her to reveal what is possibly her deepest, darkest secret. She turns back to face me again, her expression unreadable.

"I- somebody I cared a lot about rejected me."

"Oh." I can't think of anything else to say. Her stormy eyes bore into mine, and I feel as if I am seeing somebody else in front of me. Not Mia, the scared initiate, or Mia, my friend, but a different version of Mia. I feel the sight of her in my chest, like an aching pain, but different.

I turn to go, hoping I didn't hurt her. The truth will come out. Soon. But not today.

I sit back down on my bed and look over to the other side of the room, where two trays have been placed on a table.  
Dinner.  
I'm disappointed by how small our portions are, only cold beef stew and a very small roll. But as I begin to eat I find that my stomach has shrunken down to the size of a pebble and I can't even finish my dinner.I carefully replace the tray and sit back down.

Mia looks over at me, sitting on the bed and hugging her knees.  
Well, this is awkward. It's lucky that Christina, Tris, Four, Jake, and Sabrina come in when they do to break the silence because it's obvious that neither of us know what to say to the other and I'm starting to get a little bored. Well, okay. More than just a little bored.

Mia

I look over at Zach again just as my friends burst through the door. Sabrina hugs me, practically lifting me off the floor until I say," Ow. The ribs. I broke my rib."

"Oh, sorry," she says, and I shake my head and smile. That is the kind of thing Sabrina would do, and I suspect she did it on purpose.

Christina is practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. "We're going to have a party!"she squeals, jumping up and down.

"For what?" I ask, confused.

"didn't you hear?" says Tris. Whatever it is, I probably didn't hear. "Four is now a Dauntless leader."

"And I have a surprise," Four adds from over by Zach's bed.

According to Christina, this is a 'formal' party, so she takes Tris and me dress shopping. Normally I'm very opposed to the idea of wearing a dress or skirt, but there's no getting around Christina when she's excited about something.

"Do you have any idea what Four's surprise is?" she asks Tris._  
_

"No, not really,'' Tris says, looking at a beautiful black dress in a store window."

"I've never been to a fancy party," I admit shyly.

Christina stares at me in horror. Maybe admitting that was a mistake. "Why?"

"In Erudite they were considered illogical."

"oh."

As Christina drags me into the store, my thoughts turn back to Zach. I proved to him that I loved him. Now all I can do is wait. Wait for him to realize that i've been here for him all along.

**SCHOOL IS FINALLY OVER! I get my kindle and my iPod Touch back soon, so updates will be coming a lot faster. Although since I'm going into high school my English teacher gave me a 'summer reading assignment. :(  
****And it isn't Divergent. :( :(  
Please, please review!**


	27. Girlie Shopping Trip

**Here's the next chapter, I am finally able to be on the computer without my mom nagging me to get off. (SHE HAS A LAPTOP AND A FRIGGING IMAC. SHE DOES NOT NEED TO USE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. Actually, she does not need both anyway.) I would have updated sooner but I've started a new story called Breaking Dauntless. Anyway, here goes...**

Mia

As it turns out, shopping with Christina is fun. Really fun. She does crazy poses in the mirrors and has a talent for finding clothes. it's no wonder she became a makeup artist. She loves dressing up, and parties, and gossip.

"How about this one?" she asks, holding up a strapless black cocktail dress. It's supposed to fall to just about your mid-thigh and the skirt is longer in the back than in the front.  
"I don't think it's really my style," I say truthfully.

"Not for you, you idiot. For me." I blush.  
"No, really. What do you think?''

I think it would look great on her. Anything looks good on her, but the white on the hem accents her mocha colored skin and chocolate brown eyes perfectly.

"It-" I start to say, but Tris beats me to it.

"It looks good."

I fake a glare, and she smiles. It's been a while since i was happy like this. I smile back.

"Ohmygawd, Mia, you have to see this," Christina says, dragging me over to a display. On the dummy is a simple black dress. The ruffled skirt goes down to just about the knees and a silver belt is attached to the waist. Maybe, just maybe Zach will finally notice me in this.

"Try it on," Christina squeals, unable to suppress her excitement. I do, and when I look in the mirror, I catch my breath. I look beautiful. My face almost seems to glow with a radiant light, and my dull reddish blonde hair now actually looks pretty. Zach will have to notice. If he isn't hanging around with that stupid Andrea the entire night. A girl can dream.

Christina offers to do makeup for Tris and I, and so while I'm sitting on a stool in front of a lighted mirror in Christina's apartment, I ask as calmly as I can,"Is Andrea invited?'

"Of course not. Why do you ask?"

"The whole thing with Zach."

"Oh. Has he kissed you yet?" I turn bright red. "No."

"Jesus. What were you two _doing_ the entire time you were in the infirmary?" she smirks.

"Lying around unconscious, mostly."

"Oh. Right. But still."

I roll my eyes at her. I can be completely honest with Christina, in a way that I can't with Jake or Zach or any of my guy friends. And I know she won't tell anyone.

"Almost ready?" Four shouts, barging in without knocking. As usual. "You girls are taking _forever_."

"Yeah, that's because we're _girls." _Christina says right back." Guys don't need makeup, as far as I know. But there's a first time for everything." She waves a stick of eyeliner at him threateningly.

"No! Spare me!" he says, staggering backwards. I can't stop laughing.


	28. Party!

**The PARTY SCENE! The songs are Radioactive by Imagine Dragons and Stay by Rihanna. Really long A/N at the end :) **

Mia

The party room is already full of laughter and noise when Christina, Tris, and I make our (fashionably late) appearance.

Four, Uriah, Tyler, and Zach are clustered in a corner, talking and laughing with each other. Tris goes up and pokes four on the shoulder.

He turns around. "Tris!" he shrieks in a high pitched girl voice and kisses her. I turn away, jealous. Nobody seeing them could doubt their love for one another. They have all they need.

Zach, standing awkwardly next to them, sees me in my dress and is immediately speechless. Good. He's finally noticed me.

I raise an eyebrow and use Sabrina's signature line. "Can I help you?"

He coughs. "Sorry. It's just that you look so... so..."

"So what?"

Unfortunately, this is when Christina decides that our conversation needs some heating up.  
She slams into me, shoving me so that I fall towards him and he has to catch me.  
"Get some," she shouts before running off to find Will.

She can be a total bitch sometimes.

"What was that all about?" asks Zach, still holding me.

"Dunno. i guess that's Christina for you."

My cheeks warm, I get up and dust myself off. That was embarrassing.

I decide to go chase Christina.

I find her talking and laughing with Will on the other side of the room, so I shove her into Will, shout "GET SOME!" and run off laughing hysterically.

Life is good.

"You-" she barrels towards me, startling Tris and Four and nearly knocking me off my feet.

I turn around to face her, but Jake steps in before I can retaliate.

"Hey, hey. Break it up already."

He doesn't like fighting, apparently. Makes sense. He did transfer from Amity, after all.

"Karaoke time!" someone shouts, and I turn towards the karaoke machine that has strategically been placed in the center of the room.

I love to sing. I was allowed by my mother to sing in Erudite as a young child because it calmed me, and I have gotten really good. Karaoke is my favorite part of any party.

"Who's going first?"

Tyler volunteers, and someone starts the music. It's one of my favorite songs.

"I'm waking up, to ash and dust, I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust. i'm breathing in the chemicals..." Tyler makes an exaggerated breathing noise and everybody cracks up.

"I'm breaking in, shaping up, than checking out on the prison bus. This is it, the apocalypse. Whoa. I'm waking up. I feel it in my bones, enough to make my system blow, welcome to the new age, to the new age welcome to the new age, to the new age..."

I smile as I listen to Tyler's off-key singing. To me this song is Dauntless Initiation all the way.

After Tyler's song is over, someone shouts, "Next! we need two people."

I instantly volunteer, and so does Zach. This should be interesting.

The music comes on and i recognize the song, another one of my favorites. And as luck may have it, every word describes me and Zach perfectly.

"All along, it was a fever..." I start out softly. The room falls silent.

"A cold sweat hot-headed believer. I threw my hands in the air, said, 'Show me something.' He said ' If you dare, come a a little closer.' "

I circle around Zach. "Round and round and round and round we go."

"Damn, that girl is _good_," someone says.

I don't let that break my focus. "Ohh, now tell me now, tell me now, tell me now tell me now you know."

Zach looks at me, his expression unreadable.

"Not really sure how to feel about it. Something in the way you move makes me feel like I can't live without you. It takes me all the way. I want you to staaaayyyyy."

I dramatically hold my arms out and take a bow to cue Zach in.

"It's not much of a life you're living. It's not just something you take – it's given." h sings, his face turning a bit red. Awww. So cute.

"Round and around and around and around we go" he sings, circling around me. " Oh now tell me now tell me now tell me now you know. Not really sure how to feel about it. Something in the way you move makes me feel like I can't live without you. It takes me all the way. I want you to stay."

I smile, and he holds out his hand. I grab it.

"Ooh the reason I hold on," we sing together. I revel in the sound of our voices, two combined into one.  
"Ooh cause I need this hole gone, funny you're the broken one but I'm the only one who needed saving. Cause when you never see the light it's hard to know which one of us is caving."

Christina raises her eyebrows, as if to say, _just kiss already and get it over with._ I shoot her my best death glare.

"Not really sure how to feel about it. Something in the way you move makes me feel like I can't live without you. It takes me all the way. I want you to staaaayyyyy." We finish to a round of applause.

Zach holds my hand up like I'm a victorious fighter, and I smile. This time, it's real.

Four coughs. "Before we eat, I kind of have an announcement to make."

He faces Tris, who's standing next to him.

Suddenly he gets down on one knee, hands her a small box, and says, "Tris, will you marry me?"

**Awwww, so cute. So anyway, a bunch of people have been asking how I type stories on my kindle fire. It's actually really easy. **

**1. go to Doc manager, and click on Copy n' Paste to start a new document.**

**2. Type the first sentence of your new chapter, story, whatever and name it and hit submit..**

**3. After that just find your new chapter in the doc manager, press the 'edit' button, and start typing.**

**I might not be updating this fanfic as often, because I just started a new story, Breaking Dauntless, about a girl who transfers to Dauntless to get away from her abusive father. Check it out sometime.**

**Anyway, next update should be soon. Thanks a bunch for reading and reviewing.**


	29. Proposal

**the songs are: Give your Heart a Break by Demi Lovato and Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift.**

Tris

Oh. My. God. YES!

I jump up and down, squealing with happiness. This is what i want. To spend the entire freaking rest of my life with this boy.

"YES!" I shout, and then pause, puzzled. " But I'm only 16 and you're only 18."

Tobias smiles. "Not true. My birthday was April 6th, and yours was june 4th. We're 17 and 19 now." I take my time, savoring this information. June the 4th. my birthday.

I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him- HARD- and I feel as if finally, finally my life is complete.

"Get a room," Christina shouts.  
"Maybe we will!" I retort, and go back to kissing Tobias. This night could not be more perfect.  
When we finally separate, Mia shyly comes up to us. "Congratulations," she says, with a small smile on her face.

"Thanks." I hug her warmly, and Christina and Sabrina join in a total group hug.  
"This is SOOOO exciting!" Christina squeals in my ear. I wince.

"Can we help you plan the wedding?" Christina continues.

"Of course," I say, smiling. "What would I do without you guys?"

Christina takes one of my hands and Mia takes the other, and we spin around in a dizzy circle, falling down and laughing as the music starts up again.

"The day I first met you, you told me you'd never fall in love. But now that I get you, I know fear is what it really was."

I love this song. I giggle again, for no reason other than to hear the sound of happiness.

"Now here we are, so close yet so far. Haven't I passed the test? When will you realize, baby, I'm not like the rest..."

Mia

I'm happy for Tris, of course, but this is also bittersweet. I want the relationship with Zach that she has with Four. But that's almost certainly not going to happen.

I decide to go grab some food to take my mind off of things, but I hear a voice say, "Someone get that girl up here to sing again,'' and I am shoved roughly towards the karaoke machine.

"Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift," I say, loud and clear. i need a song that captures the feeling inside of me, and this one is as good as any. I close my eyes and picture Zach's face as the music starts.

"I remember tears streaming down your face when I said, 'I'll never let you go'. When all those shadows almost killed your liiightt..."

I open my eyes and Zach is staring at me, a picture of perfection even with all the bruises.

"I remember you said, 'Don't leave me here alone'. But all that's dead and gone and past toniiight."

The room is silent, everybody leaning forward to hear my voice.

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be all right, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and soouuund."

I could swear Zach is close to tears.

" Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire..." As I sing, every face but Zach's melts away and i focus on him.

"... You and i'll be safe and souund." I finish to a huge round of applause.

I take a mocking bow, mutter an excuse about needing some fresh air, and leave the room.

What I really need is Zach.

I run down pathways and corridors back to my apartment. As I open the door, I am startled by a voice behind me. The voice I want to hear most- and least.

"Mia?"

It's him.

**So who can figure out what's so special about April 6th and June 4th ? ;)**

**the next chapter should be out soon. And please, write a review.**


	30. Crimes of the heart- or not

Mia

"What?'' I ask Zach, as indifferently as I can, but nevertheless, there is a slight tremor in my voice.

"Are you all right?" Those amazing green eyes are filled with concern.

"I... not really," I confess, realizing that he will be able to tell if I'm lying since my eyes are red and puffy. I open the door to my apartment and collapse on the couch. He sits down next to me.

"what's wrong?''

"Troubles of the heart," I say in a dramatic accent, making him smile.

I love that smile.

"Care to tell me about it?"

I shake my head.

"You'll be fine, all right?''

I nod, focusing on the warmth of his arm around me. "I know. It's just that..." I trail off because if i say anything more I will burst into tears. He leans forwards and gathers me into his arms.  
Ohmigodohmigodohmigod.

"Don't be sad," he says, and I feel his warm breath against my cheek. My heart is racing and it's so loud I feel like it will beat right out of my chest.

"Mia, I kinda have something to tell you."

What if...

"What is it?" I say softly.

"Mia," his voice is tender. "Mia, I... I..."

Then he does he last thing i expected him to do. He leans in- and kisses me.

I had imagined this before, lying in my bed in the dorms unable to sleep, but I never realized just how warm his lips would feel against mine. I tense up at first, nervous, not knowing what to do or where to put my hands.

Eventually I guide my hands to his back and hold him there as long as i can. I never want this moment to end, and I know that I am not the first one of us to pull away.

"Now do you understand why I had to save you from Darren when he attacked you in the dorm?"

I nod, a smile working its way onto my face no matter how hard I fight to suppress it.  
"Now do _you_ understand why I beat up Laura and attacked Peter?"

He nods.

We kiss again and finally, _finally_ I am happy, for no reason other than the fact that he is here, with me, and he will be mine forever.

Or as close to forever as it is possible to get.

**Awwwwwww...**


	31. Awkward!

**I am sooooooooooooo sorry I posted a Breaking Dauntless chapter instead of this one...**

Tris

I walk into Mia's apartment to say goodnight and I find her and Zach making out on the couch.

Well, this is awkward. What am I supposed to do now? It would be rude to just leave. But it's not like I'm going to pull them apart.

I clear my throat. They remain tangled up on the couch.

"GOODNIGHT GUYS!" I shout.

And then I walk back out again, making sure to close the door behind me to make sure Sabrina, Christina, and Emily don't make the same mistake.

I'm glad they finally got together, though. Life isn't always this perfect, but 4+6 and Mia+Zach equals perfection.

As I walk back to Tobias's apartment, Christina catches up to me. I raise an eyebrow.

"What took you so long, girl?"

she flushes bright red. Oooooooohhhhh. I think I know the answer now.

"Finally finished making out with Will?"

She smirks. "I could say the same thing about you and Four. It's his apartment you're heading towards, huh? You and him, well, let's just say I won't be barging in on you guys tonight."

Now it's my turn to blush. "I was Abnegation, Christina. Do you really think..."

"No." she giggles. "But I couldn't resist."

I glare at her and roll my eyes.

"Hey, did you see where Mia went?" Christina asks. "maybe I should just barge in on her instead..."

"NO!" I shout as she heads for Mia's door. "DON'T GO IN THERE!"

Christina freezes, her hand on the doorknob. "why? Is it booby trapped or something?''

"No. It's just that she needs a bit of privacy, if you get my drift."

she doesn't get my drift. "She upset over that boy again? Well then..."

Christina walks in and almost immediately walks back out again, slamming the door.

"Ooookay then."

I grin. "Cute, huh?"

"If ya say so."

"G'night." I walk into Tobias's apartment.

He's sitting on the bed, sorting through some papers. I sit down next to him and see that they are forms for him to sign in becoming a Dauntless leader.

"Got you work cut out for you, huh?"

He smiles. "sometimes I think we should forget the weapons training and throw all the paperwork at the initiates. Make them do it instead."

I giggle. "No duh."

He sets the papers down on the desk and slowly kisses me, sighing as he pulls back. "I can't wait for the wedding."

"Me neither." I smile.

He kisses me again, and I feel like we are back in the room where we first kissed, and Christina will come looking for me any minute. But Shauna is no longer competition, because we're getting married.

Wait.

We're getting married.

WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!

**Congrats to everyone who figured out what was so special about the birthdays:**

**Tobias's B-day: 4/6**

**Tris's B-day: 6/4**

**Does anybody want a Christina/ Will chapter? PU-LEEZZE let me know!**


	32. You stole my boy

**So guess what? I FINALLY GOT MY KINDLE BACK! **

**And now it's time for...**

**The CHRISTINA AND WILL CHAPTER!**

Christina

I don't know what to think when I walk into Mia's apartment and find her and Zach kissing. I'm happy for them, of course, but I wish it could be like that between me and Will.

We aren't officially a couple, although we've kissed and been on dates together. I love him more than anything, but I'm not sure he feels the same way.

So after I say goodnight to Tris, I go back to my apartment and mope.

I'm just glad that none of the girls is around to see me like this.

I eventually doze off on the couch and wake up hours later.

The clock reads 10:37.

I'm debating about whether giving myself a manicure is worth getting off the couch when I hear Will 's voice outside my door, along with a high pitched female voice I don't recognize.

"Come ON, Will. You don't need her."

What's going on?

They continue down the hallway, and I open my door just a crack, enough to see Will and someone with a blonde ponytail disappear around the corner.

Of course, I put on my shoes and follow them.

"Will, she doesn't want you. "

"And you do?"

"Of course, Will," Ponytail Blonde says in a flirtatious voice. "You're totally hawt, and I've been waiting for this for a while."

"Waiting for what?"

Ponytail Blonde leans in and presses her lips to his, and that's when I recognize her.

Ponytail Blonde is Shauna.

It isn't enough that Shauna had to date Four, Peter, and Eric. Now she wants Will too.

And now I want revenge.

Will doesn't push Shauna away, and I can almost hear the sound of my heart shattering into a million pieces all over the stone floor.

Well, she underestimated just who she's stealing from.

She might have him but I ALWAYS get the last word.

Shauna, or should I say, Ponytail Blonde, better watch her back. Christina the Vicious just came out of her box.

Will POV

I don't push her away even though I know I should. I'm too busy thinking about what she said. Is it true?

Christina and I haven't been out much lately,but I thought it was because of our work schedules and the fact that Christina and Tris are practically inseparable.

Is it about something else?

Shauna pulls back, and says, "now do you see what I've been waiting for?"

"Yes."

She smiles, and for the first time I see how beautiful Shauna really is. Blonde hair, perfect smile, tanned skin.

"Good," she says.

We walk to the Pit, hand in hand, and I allow myself to admit that Shauna might be right. I don't think Christina really does want me.

But I'm not sure that I trust Shauna, either.

**Better than Revenge by Taylor Swift- the only song I listened to while writing this chapter. Shauna had better watch out, because Christina WILL NOT just let it slide. Next chapter might just include a little 'girl fight'... mwwahahaha.**

**Thanks to MutationsRule for the idea.**


	33. Better than Revenge

**Ahhhhhh! 124 reviews and counting! You have no idea how happy this makes me. I'm practically bouncing off the walls right now! :D :D :D :D**

**I literally had to Google how to get revenge for this chapter because I haven't really been in a situation like this before and I'm not good with rumors or backbiting.**

**But let's just say that Shauna will be going down faster than you can say "sabotage". ;)**

**Enjoy!**

Christina POV

Revenge.

I sit in my room, ransacking my brain for ideas.

I could replace her lipstick with glue. Steal the key to her room, spray paint the walls, and keep the key. I'm a pretty good pick pocket (don't ask how I learned).

I could find out the password to her answering machine and then make a list of every single awful thing she's done, and change the password.

And then it comes to me.

Perfect.

A vicious grin spreads across my face, and I lie back on the bed and stare at the hot pink ceiling.

Shauna will be finished before you can say 'rumor has it'.

This is going to be good.

I dress in a gold miniskirt and black tank top and go and find my friend Kiley from work. Riley knows practically everyone and she loves gossip. She can't keep a secret for more than an hour, and if you tell her to 'please don't tell anyone', it's a sure bet she's going to tell everyone.

She will be instrumental in my plan.

I knock on her door. "Kiley? You there, girl?"

"Come in," she shouts.

She's sitting on her couch with her Chihuahua Isabelle and painting her toenails black.

"Hey, Christina. What's up?"

I sit down on the couch next to her. "You will not BELIEVE what I just heard."

Kiley leans forward, excitement in her eyes. "You got gossip for me?"

I nod. "I was trying to open my stupid door, and one of Shauna's friends and another girl were walking down the hallway..."

"Yes?" Kiley says, and Isaballe walks over to me and sits on my lap, begging to be petted. I absently stroke the Chihuahua while I tell my 'story'.

"I heard Shauna's friend say to the other girl, 'So guess what?' And the other girl was like, 'what?"

"Get to the point already," says Kiley, leaning back on a fluffy white pillow.

"Shauna thinks she's pregnant. With ERIC. And not only that, she stole my boy."

The reaction is immediate. Kiley jumps up in shock.

"OH. MY. GAWD. She's been with Eric? And she stole Will? I cannot BELIEVE that bitch."

I nod. "I can't either. I mean why does she need two boyfriends?"

Kiley shakes her head. "Shauna used to be nice. But that was before Four left her. Pretty smart of him."

"No duh. I gotta go tell Tris. See you at work."

Kiley embraces me. "I wouldn't feel too bad over Will. After all, our parents taught us to give our used toys to the less fortunate."

Ouch.

I give Kiley a quick hug and leave the room.

As I shut the door, I hear her pick up her phone and start dialing.

Good.

Now all I need to do is tell Tris what I've done.

Easier said than done.

"You WHAT?"

I wince and hold the phone about five feet away from my ear. "Shauna deserved it. She stole Will from me. And she's tried to kill you, how many times now?"

Tris sighs. "Point. But still. That's a bit harsh."

"You wouldn't think that if you had heard what Shauna said to Will."

**And so begins World War Three. Shauna IS NOT going to be very happy...**

**Any good revenge ideas? **


	34. The War of the Girls

**Sorry it took me so long to update, I'm an aide in training at my sister's Girl Scout Camp and my parents decided to place 'restrictions' on my kindle time and I got mad about it and lost a day of screen time.**

**So now I'm sneaking on the computer when they're not home.**

**World War Three continues as Shauna decides to get back at Christina. But Christina has a few more tricks up her sleeve... and Tris and Mia have finally decided to pitch in and help. But Shauna has help too. Who will win in The War of the Girls?**

Mia

Tris, Christina, and I are all crashed at Christina's apartment come Wednesday night discussing revenge ideas.

"Um... I dunno, 'accidentally' bump into her and make her trip over those for inch heels of hers?'' Tris suggests.

"Nah, too tame." Christina tosses her hair over one shoulder, sipping a soda.

There's an idea. "Accidentally bump into her and spill soda all over those designer clothes?"

Christina considers my suggestion for a moment. "You know, that might actually be worth trying out."

I grin.

"Sneak into her house and put ceram wrap over the toilet seat." Tris suggests.

I raise an eyebrow. "And how do you propose getting _into_ her house?"

"Oh." Tris looks at the ground. "Fair point."

We all laugh, and I realize that for the first time, I have friends. Actual friends who will not be nice one day and decide to throw me to the wolves the next, or tell everyone else my secrets.

Back in Erudite, I was a social outcast, bullied and abused by the other kids my age because I got the highest score on my fifth level I.Q. test.

Even in a place where cliques were considered illogical, they still existed among the mid-level and upper-levels kids, especially with the girls.

The pretty girls stuck together, as did the smarter ones, and the future Amity and Dauntless transfers, until I was left all alone.

Until choosing Dauntless, I had never had a boyfriend, or sat up late into the night talking about pranks to play on a mean, bratty girl, or said whatever I want and gotten away with it.

It's a new kind of freedom, I think.

Shauna POV

"I CANNOT believe that Christina bitch actually told everyone that you had been with Eric. What an idiot."

As Andrea prattles on, I sit on my couch and glare at the wall.

Yesterday was when I found out about the rumor: Eric asked me why I was telling everyone I was pregnant with him AND dating Will. It caused a huge blowup on the Pit floor, and I'm still mad.

I found out from a girlfriend that Christina started the rumor and i've been plotting revenge for the last day or so.

Andrea promised to help but so far all she's done is bad mouth Christina.

No wonder she left Erudite.

I really need to find some smarter friends.

I pick up my phone and call every single girl that has been nice to me in the past. Maybe we can all think of something together.

If only Laura were here. She would know what to do. why did she have to go and fail initiation?

**Updates soon!**


	35. Looking for Laura

**This chapter is rated PG-13 for extreme violence and cruelty.**

Shauna POV

This is dangerous, and I know it. Also, it's a bit far to go for revenge. But Christina needs to pay for what she did to me.

So here I am in the middle of the night, looking for Laura in the factionless sector.

If I'm caught, I'm dead.

But I won't be caught.

I hear yelling and drunken laughter, and I put my hand on the knife in my pocket. The factionless sector is a dangerous place, especially at night.

I should've asked Eric or Peter to come with me.

Three men walk out of a crumbling building, and I press close to the wall. It doesn't work. One of the men sees me and points. All three head towards me.

"Hello, pretty one," a man calls out, leering.

Oh, no. NOT this. Those morons are dead.

Moron number one grabs my wrist.

My mind goes numb with fear. What do I do what do I do what do I do?

"Come on, pretty one," he says, pulling me closer. "We're gonna have some fun."

Mia

I wake to dark stillness and the feeling that something's wrong.

Something bad is about to happen.

I have the same strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that I did the day Zach got attacked.

And that feeling is never wrong.

I throw on some clothes, grab three throwing knives, and sprint out the door, locking it behind me.

As I leave, I notice that Zach's door is wide open.

Oh my God. This is not good.

I leave the Dauntless compound and hop on a train. I know instinctively where to go.

I also know that this feeling I get is no accident.

I gasp, and I have to lean against the wall of the train car for support. The memories are drowning me.

"Pull it together," I say aloud. That is what it feels like, pulling the shattered bits of myself off the floor and tying them up tight. Zach is in danger and I can't afford to lose control.

I jump off the train at the factionless sector, and that is when I hear it.

A girl's scream.

I run, swift and silent, down the darkened streets, avoiding the gaping holes in the road.

Outside a crumbling building, an unconscious body lies in the street. Unconscious, or dead.

Three men surround a girl, shoving her up against a wall.

That I can deal with.

I take a knife knife in my hand and hurl it at the first man, exhaling as it hits him square in the back.

I see blood, and he falls to the floor.

"Holy shit, what just happened?" says one of the other men.

Big mistake. The knife slices through his skull.

The last man sees me, and let's go of the girl. She slumps to the ground.

"Oh, look. We gots ourselves a little rebel, we does."

He comes towards me, smirking. I throw my last knife and it hits him in the arm, pinning him to the wall.

Now who's the predator?

"What we're you DOING to her?" I ask harshly, retrieving one of my knives and pressing it to his throat.

"We was just having us some fun. That's all it was."

"Wrong answer."

I plunge the knife into his heart.

The light leaves his eyes, and I sink to the floor. What did I just do?

Just then, the unconscious body stirs.

It's Zach.

And from the look of it, he's dying.

No.

It can't be.

But it is. It is.

**By the way, I've started a story about Mia's past life called Blue Darkness. It might just explain Mia's psychic powers...**


	36. Bleeding Out

**Curse by Imagine Dragons and Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons- the theme songs for this chapter. (Did I mention I'm a fan?)**

Mia

"Zach!" I scream, running to his side. He's bleeding like crazy and he's got bruises and cuts all over.

"Zach, please... can you hear me?"

He looks at me, his green eyes full of pain and fear.

"Mia..."

A hysterical sob escapes me, and I kneel down next to him, trying in vain to stop the flow of blood.

"Mia, I think I'm dying."

"No. It's all right. You'll be just fine. Please. Don't leave me!" I grab his hand.

"Oh my God. Should I call for an ambulance?" asks the girl I just rescued.

"Yes. Please."

But I'm not sure that it could get here in time. The roads are bad and the life is bleeding out of him.

There's only one thing to do.

"Zach. Do you have some matches with you?"

He nods."Pocket of my sweatshirt..."

I grab some sticks and a knife and start a fire, sticking the knife into the white-hot center of the flames.

"This is going to hurt, okay Zach? But it'll keep you alive."

I hope.

I lay the hot knife on the wound, using it to seal up the cut. Zach screams, and factionless people come out of the ruined buildings, alarmed.

I am exactly as they see me, a desperate, frightened girl trying to save her love.

I grip his hand tighter,and tell him, "just hold on, okay? The ambulance will be here soon."

He nods, but I can tell he's about to go unconscious again.

"Always remember that I love you, Mia," he says, just before he slips away.

I start crying again, harder than before, and lay my head on his chest. I finally had him, and he was snatched away too quickly. I'm not sure he's going to live.

I hear a siren, and the ambulance rumbles into the road. Thank God. Any longer and my Zach would have been dead for sure.

Abnegation paramedics rush over and lift him onto the Burney, wheeling Zach into the ambulance.

"I suggest that you girls go back to the Dauntless compound," says an Abnegation woman.

For the first time, I look closely at the girl whose life I saved. And then I realize- it's Shauna.

This makes it all so much more complicated.

Tris

I'm getting a drink of water when I see Mia run out of her room and towards the Pit. I'm guessing she needs some privacy, so I let her be.

As I go back to Tobias's apartment, I notice that Zach's door is wide open.

What is going on?

About an hour and a half later, I hear Mia return to her room, sobbing.

"Oh, god. Mia?"

She stops short and looks at me.

"What's wrong?"

"Shauna snuck out and Zach followed her to see what she was up to and... and..." Mia is too overcome to finish the sentence.

I hug her and guide her into her apartment, where she tells me everything.

It's all Shauna's fault. She's the instigator.

I have to break this curse.

Somehow.

**Again, I am obsessed with Imagine Dragons and I used a line from one of the songs in my story... internet cookies to anyone who can tell me what line and what song.**


	37. Conspiracy Theory

**I just found out about a horrible tragedy: at least half of my favorite Imagine Dragons songs are 'not available on iTunes!' Nooooooo! **

***sobs***

**To take my mind off of this disaster, here's the next chapter, because reviews somehow always manage to cheer me up...**

Mia

I don't go back to sleep.

I am tormented by visions of Zach dying in the hospital, Zach screaming in agony when I put the knife on the wound, Zach bleeding and hurting and dying.

As soon as I doze off, I relive it all, killing the men, saving Shauna, Zach, the ambulance.

I've seen and done some awful things, but this situation is the worst by far- to save a girl under attack or to help the boy that you love?

Life just gets harder and harder.

I've thought about breaking away from the faction system and leaving the city, maybe taking Zach and a few other Divergent with me, because we aren't safe here. I know what the leaders plan to do with us: they will turn us into a weapon, into some strange kind of monster we're not.

And then it hits me.

They already have.

Divergence is feared and we have to hide what we are. The leaders have ultimate control and if they find out about us, we're dead.

But maybe, just maybe, there are enough of us so that we won't have to hide anymore.

Tris

I don't know what's going on here.

But it's something larger than a prank war gone too far, or a tragic accident in the factionless sector.

It involves all of us, Divergent or not.

Something big is happening. And I suspect that it may have something to do with Outside.

I haven't heard much, just a whispered conversation between two leaders.

But enough to know that we are going to be used. As soldiers, weapons. Against whatever is Outside.

Just a few nights ago, we were happy and plotting pranks on Shauna. The accident has changed so much.

But it isn't just an accident. It's something else, something that pushed us all over the edge.

**My problem has been solved! Thank you Dad! Thank you Voice Memos! And thank you YouTube! Sorry the chapter was so short but the next one will be out after I eat my waffles. (I would die if I got syrup on my kindle.)**

**I broke... this... curse...**

**Sorry. I just had to say that ;)**

**She barely knew your name...**


	38. The Truth

**Imagine Dragons song for this chapter - All Eyes**

Mia

The second breakfast is over, I leave the Dauntless compound and head to the hospital. I have to see if Zach's all right.

He has to be all right.

I walk through the doors of the enormous building that is the hospital. An Abnegation woman sits at the front desk, typing something on a computer.

"Hello, can I help you?" she asks politely.

I nod. "I'm here to visit Zach Pond."

She types a series of commands into the computer.

"Room 317. Fourth floor. He's still in critical condition."

I walk to an elevator at the other end of the room and press the button labeled 'four'.

At least he's alive

He's not dead. Yet.

Still in critical condition...

The tears threaten to spill over my lashes, and I lean into the wall. Who did this? Who hurt him this badly?

Whoever it is, I swear to God I will kill them. I will KILL them.

The strength of the impulse scares me. It seems I have a vicious streak a mile wide.

But they deserve it.

The doors open, and I step into a long white hallway. I count the numbers on the doors as I pass- 314, 315, 316, until I reach 317.

I count to three and slowly push the door open.

Zach lies motionless on a hospital bed, surrounded by machines.

Oh, god.

"Zach?" I say softly.

"Hey." His voice is quiet and scratchy, bit at least he can talk. I sit on a chair next to him and ask, "what happened?"

He shakes his head. "I can't remember. Only the pain of something cutting through my side..."

I wince. "Why? Why would they do that to you?"

He sighs. "Mia, it's time you knew a few things about me."

My eyes go wide. Who is he really? What is this secret that is so dangerous people would kill him?

"What is it?"

"Not here. Not now. When I'm out of the hospital, if I make it-"

"Don't talk like that. Of course you'll make it."

I kiss his cheek. "I love you, Zach."

Just then, the doctor, an Erudite man who doesn't look much older than me, walks in.

"Visiting time's up. The surgery is in half an hour."

The badge on his chest reads, Dr. Caleb Prior.

Prior.

Tris had a brother who transferred to Erudite. His name was Caleb-

"Are you Tris's brother?" I ask, unable to suppress my Erudite curiosity.

He seems surprised. "You know Beatrice?"

I nod. "She's my instructor and best friend."

"Tell her that I said hi. You really do have to leave now, though. Don't worry. I'll take care of him."

I nod. "Bye, Zach."

He smiles, and if Tris's brother weren't right there I would kiss him.

I walk out and close the door behind me.

Secrets, secrets, secrets.

It just goes around and around.

As the Candor say, 'like a wild beast, the truth is too powerful to remain caged.

The truth will come out.

Soon.

**"You have to get off the kindle now, you'll never be a famous writer, go clean your room... " I hate my parents.**


	39. The Insurgence

**Here I am again. My mother told me and my sisters to 'try to go a whole hour without being annoying.' ( guess I'm not the only one with anger management issues.) Sooooo...**

Two weeks later...

Mia

Zach is finally back from the hospital. He's all right, and I'm happy about that, but the secret that he wanted to tell me has consumed me over the past couple weeks.

Who is he? Why was he there that night?

Why is he in danger?

I need to know.

The night after he gets back, I walk to his apartment and knock on the door. When he lets me in, I sit down on the couch and tell him, "I need answers."

He nods, leaning against the wall. "I know. But not here. Come on."

He grabs my hand, and we walk. Through a dark and silent Pit, past the cafeteria, to the train tracks.

I hear the train horn in the distance, and it glides slowly towards us. I pull myself into a car as the train passes by, pulling Zach in after me.

"Didn't Caleb say that you aren't supposed to jump on and off the train for a month?" I say playfully.

He smiles. "Since when have I ever followed the rules?"

I raise my eyebrows."I just don't want you to get hurt again."

Zach steps forward, pulls me closer, and gently kisses me- our first kiss since the accident.

It reminds me of the night, after the party, when he kissed me for the first time.

I know that I'm not the first one to pull away.

Finally Zach says, "I hate to say this, but we have to get up now."

We jump out of the train car, landing with a thump on a patch of grass.

I sit, pulling up pieces of grass and holding them out to the wind. "What do you have to tell me?"

"I- well, the first thing you have to know is that this information could put you in danger."

"Danger is my middle name."

He laughs, and I laugh too, reveling in this brief moment of happiness.

"Mia, do you know what Insurgent means?"

I think for a minute. "Insurgent... a person who acts in opposition to the established authority, who is not necessarily regarded as belligerent."

Zach nods. "Not so different from Divergence. I assume you know what Divergent is?"

"I am one."

"I- well, I guess we, the divergent- there's a rebel group, the Insurgence, made up of Divergent faction members. We want to have our own faction, and not have to hide anymore. I'm kind of a leader."

He says this all in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice, as if this were not life changing information. But it is.

A Divergent rebel group.

Longing for freedom.

Just like, well, just like me.

I have made my choice, but choices can be made again.

"I want to join."


	40. a spark

**Rain, rain, go away, please please please so that I can go to the pool, but until then here's the next chapter...**

**Imagine Dragons song for this chapter- Round and Round**

Mia

The Insurgence safe house is smelly and crowded with people, mostly factionless Divergent, but there are some Dauntless, some Erudite, and even Amity and Candor. No Abnegation, though. 'They do not think of themselves often enough to desire rebellion' or something like that.

Abnegation is a strange faction, I have to tell you.

Zach weaves his way through the crush of people, and I follow him, dodging elbows and muttering,"excuse me."

He finally reaches his destination, a relatively uncrowded room with a ripped sofa and a couple coupling rickety chairs.

"This is Evelyn," he says, introducing me to a tall dark haired woman who looks vaguely familiar. "Evelyn, this is my girlfriend, Mia."

"Nice to meet you," I say politely, shaking her hand.

"I've heard you want to join the cause," says Evelyn.

I nod. "Zach explained the whole Insurgence thing to me."

She smiles."What skills do you have?"

I have seen Evelyn before. I'm sure of it.

"I'm good at knife throwing. And fighting. And..." I pause.

"What? We have to know what you can do."

I tell her about the other thing.

"Oh. That's...strange. But we can certainly use you. What factions do you have an aptitude for?"

"Dauntless, Erudite, and Amity."

Evelyn raises her eyebrows. "Three factions? My, my. It seems that Zachary was right in telling you."

Zach looks embarrassed. "It's Zach."

I grin."Hey, Zachary."

He punches my shoulder, not hard enough to hurt. I giggle.

"Pay attention!"

We look at Evelyn and sidestep away from each other. I thought she seemed calm when I first met her, but something about that stillness makes me wary now.

"I need you two to complete the intelligence mission that Zachary was assigned before he got attacked. He can tell you the details. But be careful. The Erudite and Candor are starting to suspect. We can't afford to lose anyone else."

We nod and leave the safe house without a word.

xxxxx- page break- xxxxx

"Where have you been?" asks Four, running a hand through his dark hair.

He has the same sort of stillness that Evelyn did.

And that's when it hits me.

Evelyn looked familiar because she looked like-

Four.

I gasp.

"What's wrong?" Zach asks.

I shake my head. "Nothing."

Evelyn is Four' s mother.

Dinner is macaroni and cheese, my favorite, but I barely taste it. My mind is full of all the things I've seen and done, both today and in the past.

Evelyn said that they could use me, and they were right.

I've been used before. As a weapon. A killing machine.

But now, I will be more.

Tris

Mia seems a bit weird today.

First she disappeared for four hours, and then she shut herself in her room for another hour or so.

Her eyes are alight with a new kind of knowledge, not like Erudite but not Dauntless mania either.

This is more like- a spark.

A spark of what?


	41. Mission

**Vacation... writer's block...more Imagine Dragons. What can I say?**

Tris

"Tobias, are you all right?" I ask softly, looking at him in concern. I think he's working himself too hard, staying up late into the night looking over documents and files.

"Tris, I... I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"Everyone... the factionless, the Dauntless, even the Erudite... may be in danger."

I look at him, shocked.

"Why?"

"A rebel group of Divergents called the Insurgence. They want war."

"Tobias.." I don't know what to say after that, so I just kiss him. He kisses me back, and we stay that way, wrapped around each other, for a long time.

* * *

Christina

The prank war kind of lost its appeal after the accident, but I'm still plotting Shauna's murder.

But mostly, instead of being mad, I'm hurt.

Why did Will leave me so quickly, and for _Shauna_ of all people?

I just don't get it.

So when he calls me one night, I actually actually try to listen to him instead of just blowing him off.

"Christina, please try to understand. She came onto me, I swear. And she told me you were cheating... I just didn't know who to believe."

That makes me mad. "You'd believe Shauna over me? Shauna, who tried to kill Tris plenty of times, and hates me and her because of the whole Tris and Four thing?"

"Chris, please..."

I've heard enough. I slam the phone down and storm off to my room.

He thinks I'd forgive him? Well, he really screwed that up. Because Shauna can have him. I am so over him.

Those two deserve each other.

I go to the training room and shoot a gun until all my anger is gone. Well, most of it at least.

* * *

Mia

We are supposed to hack into the Dauntless secure files and retrieve a crucial bit of information.

Zach was just coming back from receiving this mission when he was attacked.

I hope we have better luck this time.

It's the middle of the night and there's nobody around. Zach and I creep into the glass building, disguised by the shadows and our own dark clothing.

As it turns out, the Dauntless are not as skilled at security as the Erudite.

It's a peice of cake to break into the control room. Zach grins as we push open the door.

At least, until the hand shoots out and grabs him by the wrist.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

Oh, shit.

**Okay, so...**

**To the person who asked why I wasn't at band camp:**

**Who are you, and how do you know I was supposed to be at band camp?! No, seriously, I thought I had a stalker. (Actually I still do. No offense meant.)**

**I was not at camp because I was in NY.**

**To all of my other (very awesome) readers,**

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in like forever, but as I said I was on vacation and I had writers block. I hope you can forgive me...**


	42. Dead Man Walking

**Really short chapter. I'm only posting this to prove that I'm still alive (and actually survived Hunger Games camp.)**

Mia

"And just what do you think you're doing?" says a low, rumbling voice.

It's Four.

We're dead.

"No!" I scream before he can do anything else. "Don't hurt him!"

Four rolls his eyes. "I need to find out what's going on here."

Zach sighs. "It's a long story. See, there's this rebel group called the Insurgence-"

"...And they sent you to steal information." Four finishes.

Zach looks at him in shock. "How did you _know?"_

"My mother Evelyn is the head of the Insurgence. In an effort to convince me to join, she told me everything. Obviously it didn't work. This war was over before it had even begun." He sighs. "There's a lot you don't know."

"Such as?"

_"Evelyn-"_ he says the name harshly, like a curse- "wants nothing to do with the Divergents. All she wants is revenge."

"Revenge on who?" I ask, puzzled.

"Jeanine Matthews. Her sister."

* * *

Tris

When I wake in the middle of the night, Tobias is not in the bed next to me.

Something is wrong.

I throw on some clothes, slip a knife under my shirt, and tiptoe out into the hallway, heading for the control room.

The Pit looms in front of me, huge, dark and silent.

"Going somewhere?"

I whirl around, my hand finding the knife instantly.

Peter gives me a wicked grin. "Hello, _Stiff."_

I back away, holding the knife out in front of me. "I'm not looking for trouble."

"Me, neither, sweetheart. I'm looking for fun."

He's been drinking, judging from the sharp tang of his breath.

I don't think. I run.

I stumble.

I fall, and the knife goes through my arm.

"FOUR!"I scream.

"He can't hear you."

Oh, God, oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God

"Tobias," I say weakly, and I black out.

**Again, sorry it's so short and crappy, but it's the best I could do.**

**By the way, I found out who asked why I wasn't at camp.**

**My best friend TributeAndProud was pranking me.**

**SO not funny.**


	43. Hear Me Cry

**Sorry it's taken me forever to update, but I've been really busy. I actually helped to get a category added to fanfiction ( Dystopian Razorland Trilogy, aka Enclave. If you have not read the books, go read them. NOW. ) I'm also working on a Hunger Games fanfic called Prim's Game, and it's been really fun to write, so I didn't really have the time to update.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

_..I felt like I couldn't breathe, my aching body fell to the floor..._

So Cold by Ben Clocks (the song that inspired this story...)

* * *

Mia

I open my mouth to question this- how could someone like Four be related to Jeanine? but am interrupted by a sound. It's faint and far off and could be dismissed as wind whistling through the tunnels.

But I know better.

It's a scream.

Because I have that feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I stand up, pull out the knife in my pocket, and grab Zach's hand.

"Come on."

"But... what the..." Clearly, neither him nor Four heard what I heard.

"Just trust me."

We run through the darkened hallways, left and right and left again. Finally, we come out into the Pit.

I look down and gasp. Zach has to grab my waist to keep me from falling off the path.

Because below is a still body and a pool of blood.

A body that belongs to a girl I know. Who I've laughed with, told my secrets to, fought with.

Tris.

"NO!" I scream, tearing past Zach and Four, racing down the path.

I kneel beside her, frantically trying to rouse her, not caring that the blood is starting to soak through my jeans.

She's breathing. Barely.

There is a knife through her arm, all that blood can't possibly be coming from there. That's when I notice the gaping wound in her back.

She doesn't have much time left.

Zach looks at Four, and by some unspoken agreement, Zach runs in the direction of the infirmary, while Four runs toward us.

"Tris..." he breathes, trying to staunch the flow of blood from the wound.

"My girl..."

"'Your girl' is as good as dead, Four," snarls a voice.

Peter leans against the wall of the Pit, casually checking his watch. Rage boils within me.

"Was wondering when you'd show up."

Maybe it's because I'm standing in the blood of my best friend. Or maybe it's because he is despicable, inhuman, exactly like _them,_ so many years ago.

I pull the knife out of my pocket and face him.

"Oh, the little freak wants to fight, does she?"

I tense at the word 'freak'. Even though he is only referring to my size, I think of something else.

"Well, she's got her fight."

He stumbles towards us, and that's when I realize that he's drunk. A sober Peter wouldn't make the first move unless he's already assessed the weaknesses of his opponent.

Maybe this isn't insanity. "Show me what you've got," I say defiantly.

"Mia. No," Four says. "You'll only get yourself hurt or worse."

I don't care. Not at all.

"Mia," he says again. "Think of Zach."

That gives me pause, but I look back at Tris, and that steels my resolve.

"Come at me," I taunt, circling around Peter.

That's when he pulls out the blade. It's wickedly sharp, and looks like it was made for killing.

"I thought those were restricted," Four mutters. "Screw you, Max."

He stands up and pushes me behind him.

"No. Stop."

But I've made my decision. I charge at Peter before anything else can happen, catching him by surprise.

But then he flips me over his back and slams me to the ground, pinning me down with one hand and holding up the saber to cut me with the other, just as Zach returns...

_Flashback_

_"Don't worry," Dr. Temple tells me. "The serum ensures that it won't hurt a bit."_

_And then he picks up two things off a cart- a scalpel and an I.V. drip._

I hear Zach calling to me as the world goes away.

**Zach says to review!**


End file.
